Firmino finished at Liverpool? Former Reds star makes big Gakpo deal claim

Brazilian
forward
Firmino
has
spent
the
last
seven
and
a
half
seasons
with
the
Merseyside
giants,
winning
the
Premier
League
and
Champions
League
among
a
host
of
honours.

His
contract
is
due
to
expire
at
the
end
of
this
season,
however,
and
Enrique
believes
the
impending
signing
of
Gakpo
from
PSV
is
a
signal
that
time
is
almost
up
at
Anfield
for
Firmino.

PSV
announced
on
Monday
evening
a
deal
is
in
place
to
take
Netherlands
international
Gakpo
to
Liverpool,
in
what
they
said
will
be
a
record
sale
for
the
Dutch
club.

Their
previous
record
sale
saw
Hirving
Lozano
join
Napoli
for
a
reported
€45million,
and
the
size
of
Liverpool’s
investment
indicates
they
are
buying
Gakpo
for
a
starting
spot.

With
Mohamed
Salah
signing
up
to
a
new
deal
in
the
close
season,
and
the
likes
of
Diogo
Jota,
Luis
Diaz
and
Darwin
Nunez
also
looking
to
play
regularly,
when
fit,
Firmino
may
be
squeezed
out.

Klopp
has
been
a
big
advocate
of
Firmino’s
qualities,
so
the
situation
may
not
be
as
clear-cut
as
Enrique
makes
it,
but
the
Spaniard
sees
Firmino
having
no
future
with
his
current
club.

Writing
on
Instagram,
Enrique
claimed:
“I
believe
this
means
is
the
end
of
firmino
with
us.
It
happens
when
we
sign
Luis
Diaz
with
mane.
I
believe
is
going
to
be
the
same
this
time
with
gakpo
and
firmino.
Do
you
agree?”

Liverpool
elected
to
sell
Sadio
Mane
to
Bayern
Munich
in
June,
as
Enrique
pointed
out,
after
bringing
in
Diaz
at
the
start
of
the
year
and
then
striking
a
deal
to
acquire
Nunez
from
Benfica.

There
is
a
natural
evolution
happening
within
the
Liverpool
forward
ranks,
with
the
long-established
front
three
of
Salah,
Mane
and
Firmino
having
already
fragmented.

Enrique,
36,
had
a
five-year
stay
at
Liverpool
that
ended
with
his
release
at
the
end
of
the
2015-16
season.
He
has
since
retired
and
works
in
the
media.

Although
Liverpool
did
not
immediately
comment
on
Monday’s
news
coming
out
of
PSV,
Reds
goalkeeping
coach
John
Achterberg
wrote
beneath
a
recent
Instagram
post
from
Gakpo:
“Welcome
to
the
club
Cody.”

Gakpo
will
want
to
play
consistently,
with
the
23-year-old
having
also
been
linked
with
the
likes
of
Manchester
United
and
Real
Madrid.

He
has
earned
his
big
move
after
shining
for
Ruud
van
Nistelrooy’s
side.

He
has
scored
nine
goals
and
provided
12
assists
in
14
Eredivisie
games
this
season,
the
third-highest
tally
of
goal
contributions
(21)
after
14
games
in
the
league
since
the
1999-00
season
–
only
Van
Nistelrooy
(27
in
1999-00)
and
former
Liverpool
man
Luis
Suarez
(25
in
2009-10)
have
bettered
that
tally.

Gakpo
also
impressed
for
the
Netherlands
at
the
World
Cup
in
Qatar,
where
he
scored
three
goals.