How Big a Steal Is Roberto Firmino for Liverpool?
The signing of Roberto Firmino captured the imaginations of Liverpool supporters when it was confirmed by the club toward the end of June, but how much of a steal was the £29 million forward for the Reds?
Making the move from 1899 Hoffenheim, Firmino's arrival was part of a seven-signing recruitment drive tailored to aid manager Brendan Rodgers as he plots to counter a dismal sixth-placed finish in 2014/15 with a charge for the Premier League's top four this season.
Firmino was joined by Adam Bogdan, James Milner, Danny Ings, Joe Gomez, Nathaniel Clyne and Christian Benteke in a major shakeup of Rodgers' personnel, and the Brazilian serves as the standout signing of Liverpool's summer.
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However, determining Firmino's value, and whether his was a "steal" of a signing for the Reds, is a difficult task.
Roberto Firmino
It has been a slow start to the season for Firmino, with 156 minutes of Premier League action seeing the forward fail to register a goal or assist.
This was to be expected, however, despite encouraging words from the player's compatriot and former Liverpool left-back Fabio Aurelio, who told the club's official website Firmino "will adapt very quickly."
The 35-year-old continued:
"He is used to living in Europe having spent the last few years in Germany.
So it won't be that difficult for him because he'll have the help of two Brazilians that are already there in the Liverpool squad. He is used to European football as well, so I believe that he will adapt very quickly.
My own experience was coming from another team in Europe—Valencia. I spent six years there before I joined Liverpool. So it wasn't as difficult.
Lucas [Leiva] had that problem; when he first arrived at Liverpool, he came straight from Brazil and a very different competition and a different rhythm of game. He suffered a lot in his first two years, then once he adapted to it he became the player we all know.
But I think Firmino will have an easier way than Lucas and more similar to me, because he is coming from a European team with a few years already there and is used to the weather. He shouldn't have many problems to adapt.
"
However, while Aurelio's assertion that defensive midfielder Lucas' transition to life on Merseyside was more comprehensive, following his move from Gremio in 2007, Firmino's involvement in Brazil's ill-fated Copa America campaign this summer ensured his adjustment to life under Rodgers was to be relatively drawn-out.
Firmino made four appearances for Brazil in Chile, scoring one goal, and while Dunga's side crashed out in the quarter-finals following a shootout loss to Paraguay, this nonetheless ensured that Liverpool's £29 million man didn't join up with his new team-mates until the end of July. As such, Firmino will take more time to prove to supporters that he is, as Aurelio suggested, "a very promising player."
However, given his experience with Hoffenheim and the quality he showed in the Bundesliga, there is no doubt Rodgers has acquired a player of phenomenal talent.
As Aurelio continued his testimony, he went on to detail what Firmino can offer to Liverpool:
"He is a good finisher and a clever player, he knows how to move well behind the lines and find good spaces behind defenders as well, to have clear options to score.
But not only that, he can also give various assists to other players. So I think Liverpool have signed a very promising player that could improve a lot together with the club.
"
During his time with Hoffenheim, Firmino developed into a tenacious, intelligent attacking midfielder, effective in both attack and defence. The 23-year-old is a player who can burst through defensive lines to make audacious, no-look finishes but also one who works to apply pressure on opposition defenders off the ball, as his average of 2.7 tackles per Bundesliga game in 2014/15—more than any Liverpool forward—attests.
Last season, Firmino scored seven goals and provided 10 assists, with this efficiency in attack likely endearing him to Rodgers, who saw his side endure a goal-shy campaign last term.
Signing a player of the calibre of Firmino represented something of a coup for Liverpool, particularly given that, according to Alistair Tweedale of the Telegraph, Manchester United were "closing in" on his signing in the middle of June—just nine days before the forward sealed his move to Merseyside.
However, when considering whether Firmino was a "steal," it is important to consider the opposite transfer failure that played out for the Reds earlier in the summer.
Memphis Depay
United completed the signing of Dutch winger Memphis Depay in the second week of June after agreeing a deal in May, according to BBC Sport, marking the start of what initially looked like a flawless summer of business for the Red Devils and another miserable one for their north west rivals.
"This is a dream come true for me; to play for the biggest club in the world and also to have the chance to work with someone who I believe is the best manager in the world, Louis van Gaal," Memphis said on his arrival. He continued:
"I have great belief in my ability and I work hard to strive to achieve my dreams. I have been at PSV Eindhoven since I was 12 years old and I would like to thank them for everything. It was a great moment when we won the league and I was so happy to be part of that. This is now a new chapter in my life and one I'm looking forward to.
"
These words—of ambition fulfilled—struck a blow to hopeful Liverpool supporters, with the Reds eagerly pursuing Memphis throughout the early weeks of the summer. James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo reported at the beginning of May that "the 21-year-old has been given permission to hold talks with interested clubs who are willing to pay the £20 million asking price and Liverpool have made Depay an offer."
Pearce cited a source close to Memphis who intimated that "he was impressed with Liverpool’s plans to push on after a disappointing campaign" and that "playing in the Champions League is not a deal breaker."
After the misery of Liverpool's 2014/15 campaign, acquiring Memphis would have been a significant boost ahead of a renewed push for the Premier League's top four in this campaign. But after more than a month of deliberation from Reds bosses, United sealed the deal in under 48 hours, according to Dutch journalist Marcel van der Kraan, who spoke to talkSPORT.
"Up until about 48 hours ago he wasn’t going to go [to Manchester United]. There was a bigger chance he would go to PSG or Liverpool," he said. "We understand Liverpool were real serious contenders because United weren’t involved."
But as Van der Kraan continued, United acted swiftly to secure Memphis' signature:
"[United] wanted to be kept in the loop, but that was it, but then came the moment when he could be signing for someone else and then ‘bang,' there was a real forceful hand at Old Trafford and from that moment on they wanted to do it. And they did it."
Though Rodgers later claimed in conversation with Sky Sports that "it wasn't something we were ever interested in," Liverpool's loss was clearly United's gain. In acquiring the services of his youthful compatriot, Red Devils manager Louis van Gaal added a versatile, goal-hungry talent to his squad, with Memphis having scored 22 goals in 30 games in 2014/15 as PSV Eindhoven surged to the Eredivisie title.
Memphis has also taken time to adapt to life in the Premier League, whichs was also to be expected, but who was the better signing: the Dutchman or Firmino?
Rodgers suggested Liverpool were not interested in signing Memphis because "we're well covered, especially on the left-hand side." But following Raheem Sterling's move to Manchester City and Lazar Markovic's loan switch to Fenerbahce, his side now looks decidedly light in left-sided attacking options.
The manager also cited Jordon Ibe and Adam Lallana as capable of filling that role, and Philippe Coutinho has also been utilised on the left this season, but as Liverpool entered the final weeks of the summer transfer window, they looked short of a truly effective left-winger. Memphis would have filled that role expertly.
Meanwhile, when considering Rodgers' best tactical setup for the 2015/16 campaign and the way in which the manager has deployed his side so far this season, Firmino often sticks out as an expendable option: Coutinho, Milner, Jordan Henderson, Benteke and Daniel Sturridge—on his return from injury—all represent key players for the Reds, while the development on Emre Can in a deep-lying midfield role is hugely important for Liverpool's progress.
So where does that leave Firmino?
With those options, a 4-4-2 diamond is Rodgers' best formation, with Can serving as the midfield anchor, Henderson and Milner as shuttling wide players, Coutinho in his most effective No. 10 role and Benteke and Sturridge working in tandem as a forward two. If Memphis had joined, this may have been different, with a 4-2-3-1 perhaps Liverpool's best setup, with Henderson and Milner serving as the two-man midfield pivot and Memphis (left), Coutinho (No. 10) and Sturridge (right) supporting Benteke.
Liverpool's squad may have been healthier had Rodgers secured the signing of Memphis over Firmino. But nevertheless, with this representing no more than a fantasy for Reds supporters, the Brazilian presents a welcome selection problem for Rodgers—particularly on Sturridge's return.
So how big a steal is Firmino?
How Big a Steal is Roberto Firmino for Liverpool?
Regardless of tactical nuances and hypothetical formations, Firmino is a top-level acquisition for Liverpool.
Writing for Goal following Firmino's arrival, Liverpool writer Simon Hughes said the Brazilian's signing was "a reflection of the times," continuing to evaluate that "Liverpool required a trophy signing."
After the failure to sign Memphis and the fallout from mid-May revelations that Sterling was looking to leave the Anfield club, courtesy of the Guardian's Andy Hunter, Firmino's move to Merseyside represented an unequivocal step forward in the transfer market for a previously flagging Liverpool. This was a signing with real clout—something that clouds judgment over whether spending £29 million on him can be considered a "steal."
Firmino's arrival lifted the spirits of Liverpool supporters, as Jamie Carragher described in his column for the Mail in July:
"Though 95 per cent of Liverpool supporters have never seen Firmino in action—YouTube doesn’t count—they believe he is already on his way to becoming an icon.
He comes from Brazil, his style is similar to Luis Suarez’s and his form for Hoffenheim was brilliant, leaving fans saying: 'Imagine what he’ll be like for us!'
That is the mystique of buying players from abroad.
"
This is an immeasurable impact given the morale on Merseyside following the 2014/15 season, with Firmino almost single-handedly restoring the hopes of a fanbase before he had even kicked a ball in a Liverpool shirt.
Of course, as Carragher continued, "Firmino could well be another Suarez; he could also be another Alberto Aquilani." As such, there is an element of risk in his signing.
But the quality Firmino showed during his time with Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga—a stylistically similar league to the Premier League—suggests that once he transitions into life at Liverpool, and Rodgers finds a way to fit him into an effective attacking lineup alongside the likes of Benteke, Sturridge and Coutinho, he could be a devastating player for the Reds.
The £29 million fee renders the notion of Firmino being a "steal" for Liverpool obsolete—particularly with a player such as Andre Ayew, a free-transfer signing from Marseille, immediately flourishing for Swansea City—and his slow start in the Premier League could well spark the ire of a demanding Anfield support.
But context is remarkably important here, and given time, Firmino could prove to be a real landmark signing for Liverpool.
Statistics via Transfermarkt.co.uk and WhoScored.com.
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