Forward José Mourinho molded into 36-goal star can be ‘$49m’ Roberto Firmino heir for Liverpool

As a host of long-term servants prepare to depart Merseyside in the coming months, it is fair to say that Liverpool appears to be a club undergoing a revamp both on and off the pitch. With one Kop favorite set to depart this summer, Jürgen Klopp may be tempted to strengthen his forward options.

With the conclusion of this season fast approaching, it would be fair to say that the final few games of the campaign will represent the final act of a memorable era at Anfield. However, as soon as the last ball is kicked this term, Klopp will be all too aware of the need to future-proof his squad as he looks to build his second great Liverpool team.

With stalwarts James Milner and Roberto Firmino among the several first-team stars expected to depart the club at the end of the season, Liverpool does feel like a club transitioning between the eras and this will be something Klopp will need to navigate carefully. After what has been an inconsistent season, the upcoming transfer window does, therefore, feel like one of the most pivotal of the German’s tenure thus far.

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Of course, a lot has been made of the need for Liverpool to strengthen in the midfield and center-back positions. However, Firmino’s impending departure may leave the Reds’ recruitment team with a bit of a conundrum heading into the summer. With only two center-forward options available to Klopp in the form of Darwin Núñez and Cody Gakpo, it may be that the club looks to strengthen in this position, especially considering the former has probably played his best football in a red shirt out wide rather than through the middle.

One option who may tick a lot of boxes for Liverpool is AS Roma’s Tammy Abraham, who has excelled since moving to Serie A to join José Mourinho’s AS Roma two years ago. According to Fichajes, the former Chelsea striker could be of interest to the Reds, with fellow Premier League outfits Newcastle United and Aston Villa also monitoring the 25-year-old’s availability.

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On top of the England international boasting Premier League experience and home-grown status, his form since moving to the Italian capital has been impressive, with the center-forward having notched 48 goal involvements — 36 goals and 12 assists — in 101 appearances for Roma. When one considers that Abraham has registered a very healthy 67 goal involvements — equaling one just about every 2.4 games — in 160 appearances during his career in two top European leagues, his valuation of $49m (£31m/€45m) on Transfermarkt does seem pretty reasonable, especially given the fees that other forwards have commanded in recent years.

The 11-time international has had a quieter season than last, with 17 goal contributions in all, but has still made a significant contribution during what has been a strong season for Mourinho’s outfit. Following on from the success in the Europa Conference League last season, the Giallorossi have reached the semi-finals of the Europa League this term and will take a 1-0 lead into the second leg against Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen.

Tammy Abraham excelled in his first season in Italy but has had a more muted campaign this time around and could be a cost-effective purchase for Liverpool. (Photo by Giuseppe Maffia/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

(Image: Giuseppe Maffia/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

In some ways, if Abraham was to move to Liverpool, one would expect the response to be similar to the one that greeted Mohamed Salah six years ago, with the forward also having built a reputation in Serie A after struggling to truly establish himself at Stamford Bridge. There would, perhaps, be some doubts about whether the forward would be able to make the grade on Merseyside but the landmark success of Salah may prompt Klopp to dismiss any cynicism.

A move for Abraham may not be on every Liverpool fan’s radar, but there is no doubt that the former Stamford Bridge star is an underrated forward when one considers his record in two of the world’s toughest leagues. With Firmino set to depart Anfield this summer, a move for the England star may make a lot of sense for the Reds.

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