Liverpool bade farewell to Bobby Firmino both home and away, with the Brazilian set to depart once his contract expires this summer.
Despite Jurgen Klopp’s hopes that the former Hoffenheim hitman would put pen to paper on fresh terms, the 31-year-old ultimately decided it would be in the best interests of himself and the club to call time on his Anfield career.
The news has understandably not been met well universally, with former Red Jose Enrique tweeting his dismay at the decision to allow the striker to leave this summer.
That we let firmino leave when he still have a lot to give it makes me so mad because i believe when he is fit he is actually a starting player in this team
— José enrique (@Jesanchez3) May 28, 2023
A heartbreaking decision but the right one for Liverpool and Firmino
We can certainly understand where the ex-fullback is coming from, especially after witnessing Firmino net twice across both his last two games for the club.
There’s not a doubt in our minds that the Brazil international would have been a stellar option off the bench for Liverpool had he been open to the idea of playing second fiddle to the likes of Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo.
With his powers clearly dwindling, however, one can sympathise with the decision to end things on a relative high and seek pastures new.
From a purely financial perspective, the spare wages will certainly help matters once it comes to signing new stars once the window opens in June.