Liverpool Transfer News: Shock Roberto Firmino, PSG Rumours Emerge

French giants Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly considering a move for Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino at the the end of the season. 

That’s according to Fichajes.net (h/t James Whaling of the Mirror), which claimed that with both Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani linked to moves away from the Parc des Princes, the Parisians are seeking to add to their options up top. The Brazil international only signed for the Reds from Hoffenheim last summer.

After a trying start to life in the Premier League, Firmino seems to be settling in at the club under the tutelage of Jurgen Klopp. As we can see here, courtesy of Squawka Football, he’s been one of the biggest attacking threats in the division this calendar year:

So it goes without saying that the Reds likely won't want to sell the player, especially having shelled out £29 million for him themselves this summer.

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Slowly but surely, he’s beginning to look like value for the money too. While the Brazilian isn’t quite at full tilt, he’s shown his worth in a number of different positions on the field, whether it's been as a roaming lone striker or in his preferred position as a split striker. Now, regardless of where he plays, his class shines through.

Additionally, as noted by Bleacher Report’s Karl Matchett, there’s a graft in Firmino’s game which complements his guile superbly:

It’s evident the Liverpool manager is a huge fan of him too. “I could talk about this for half an hour, but to be honest I think it should be normal because I know how good he is,” said Klopp last month after Firmino bagged a brace in a 3-3 draw against Arsenal, per Joe Strange of MailOnline.

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For PSG, he wouldn’t really be a direct replacement for either Cavani or Ibrahimovic, should they leave the club. Both of those players are primarily target men who thrive at the point of the attack, bringing others into play and getting into goalscoring positions inside the penalty area on a regular basis.

Ibrahimovic in particular would be a very difficult player to replace at the Parc des Princes, as evidenced by some of his recent displays, per ESPN FC:

Cavani, as we can see here, is also a player who stretches defences with his clever movement and admirable work rate:

Firmino doesn’t tick the same boxes. He’s not a centre-forward, first and foremost, even when he is deployed as the most advanced player in the side, and he’s not a footballer who plays up against opposition defenders. The Brazilian is always on the move, darting into spaces, dropping deep and linking up with midfielders.

So while PSG may be big admirers of his talent, if they’re looking for a player to lead their line in a manner akin to Ibrahimovic or Cavani, they’d be better off exploring other options. Of course, they do posses the financial clout to test the Reds’ resolve and can offer Champions League football, but it’d be a big surprise if Liverpool were to entertain a sale so early in Firmino’s Anfield career.