Firmino contract offer a show of Liverpool’s FAITH in Darwin Nunez

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 8 Dec 2022 10:59 GMT
• 3 min read

Roberto Firmino has been offered a new contract by Liverpool, according to reports, but the details of the deal that the Brazil international will be presented with suggestion that the Reds still believe Darwin Nunez is the long-term No.9 at the club.

Nunez has not unanimously impressed since leaving Benfica to join the Anfield club in the summer for a deal that could yet reach €100 million.

Indeed, there have been reports that Jurgen Klopp’s side are looking for an alternative, with Juventus’ Dusan Vlahovic linked in recent days.

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Firmino, meanwhile, has been a long-time favourite of the Kop. Signed from Hoffenheim in 2015, the 31-year-old has played a key role in the Reds’ success under Klopp and has fully justified the €41m fee that was paid for him.

His present contract, though, is coming to an end. It finishes on 30 June 2023, after which he is scheduled to join the likes of Lionel Messi as a free agent.

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Details of Firmino deal suggest Nunez faith

According to Football Insider, Liverpool have made him a new deal, though.

While this might suggest that the Reds are not as convinced by Nunez as they were when they spent big money on him in the summer, it hints that they are ready to give the Uruguayan more time to adapt to the Premier League and England, where he does not yet speak the language.

Certainly, when the reported terms of Firmino’s new contract are studied, this would appear to be the case.

The South American has been presented with a pay cut to his current salary, which is in the region of €200,000 per week, which suggests that Liverpool expect him to have a more peripheral role in the squad in the months ahead.

The incentive for Firmino to sign the deal, though, is that there are bonuses connected with goals and appearances.

Presently, this looks attractive because he is in the team and is scoring, and it is therefore something of an insurance policy if Nunez does not become the player the Reds think he will.

Liverpool may be hedging their bets a little with this offer, but it certainly suggests that they still believe Nunez will be the man for their centre-forward spot in the long term.