According to a recent report by Liverpool Echo, former Barcelona and Stoke City attacker Bojan Krkic has urged the Catalan giants to ditch their advances for the services of Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez, and instead move for Liverpool’s Brazilian front-man Roberto Firmino.
The Catalan giants are claimed to be considering a complete revamp of their front-line, with Luis Suarez reportedly set to depart. Although there’s a strong chance that Jurgen Klopp would simply laugh this rumour off, when a club like Barcelona are involved, it’s absolutely worth considering.
The search for attackers has been ongoing at the Nou Camp for a while now, and to that effect, former winger Bojan urged Barcelona to sign Roberto Firmino. The ex Stoke City man said, “Inter Milan do not usually take the initiative and that makes me think that Lautaro could occupy an area at Barca that is not naturally his. If you allow me a name, I would bet more on Roberto Firmino: a link player, with a lot of presence and great mobility.”
Why Are Barcelona Looking For A New Striker?
The Catalan side have been right at the top of the European game for the longest time now, and a large amount of credit for that must fall into the hands of Uruguayan centre-forward Luis Suarez. It’s worth considering though that the former Liverpool striker is 33 now, which means that his time leading this Barcelona line is sure to be limited. The Catalan number nine hasn’t necessarily shown too many signs of weakness, but the fact remains that depending on a player of that age can have risks involved.
Moreover, the summer acquisition of Atletico Madrid ace Antoine Griezmann can only be described as a failure. The Frenchman has struggled, not only to fit into Quique Setien’s footballing philosophy but also to win over the hearts of the Camp Nou faithful. The forward had been considered to be one of the brightest talents in the European game prior to his move to Catalonia, and it’s safe to say that the Barcelona fans are yet to see the best of Antoine Greizmann.
Bojan Urged Barcelona To Sign Roberto Firmino: Should Setien Push To Make This Happen?
For starters, Roberto Firmino could be the exact kind of striker that this Catalan side has been crying out for, in that the Brazilian’s primary objective, at least while playing for Liverpool, is to use his movement to provide the wingers with ample space. A similar tactic, if deployed at Barcelona, would provide Firmino with the opportunity to help Argentine superstar Lionel Messi perform even better than he usually does. While the relationship between Suarez and Messi is an essential aspect of the Blaugrana’s play, Firmino could help carry this Barcelona attack to the next level.
Firmino primarily uses his attributes to drop into midfield and collect the ball, thereby dragging defenders out of position, and making spaces in behind for the rest of the team to run into. As good as he’s been at Liverpool over the last couple of seasons, it’s worth considering that playing alongside names like Lionel Messi, Busquets and Gerard Pique would be any player’s dream come true. Firmino would be extremely well-suited to Setien’s free-flowing attacking system. Still, the likelihood of Jurgen Klopp allowing the Brazilian to be sold this summer is bleak.
