BREAKING NEWS:Liverpool has signed a player who is faster than Roberto Firmino

Roberto Firmino closed a memorable chapter of his impressive career on Sunday afternoon, playing his final game as a Liverpool player against Southampton. The Reds legend even scored a goal to cap off his performance in a chaotic 4-4 draw on the south coast.

As the South American attacker found the net on English shores, a possible heir to his throne scored his own decisive goal in the Netherlands. PSV Eindhoven faced AZ Alkmaar with a spot in next season’s Champions League on the line, and after 97 minutes, the scores were level.

The Dutch side was drawing up until the final seconds of the bout, at which point, a wonderkid by the name of Xavi Simons assumed the spotlight. The 20-year-old starlet assumed possession far from goal, but found the net in spectacular fashion after a marauding run from deep.

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Simons scored both PSV goals on the day to deliver a vital 2-1 victory, and in the process, he claimed the Golden Boot by bagging his 19th goal of the season, making him joint-top scorer alongside Utrecht’s Anastasios Douvikas.

The youngster, who was still a teenager up until just two months ago, ended the campaign with a total of 27 goals and assists from 34 starts in the Eredivisie, which is seriously impressive considering it was his debut year in Holland as a player who is still very much learning his trade.

Indeed, Simons made the brave switch from Paris Saint-German just 12 months ago. He wanted to play more often and challenge himself as a starter in a major European league, but his pathway in the French capital was blocked by superstars such as Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappé.

For the first half of his debut season in the Dutch top flight, Simons teamed up with a certain Cody Gakpo in the final third before the Reds’ number 18 made an initial $46m (£37m/€43m) transfer move. The latter prospered to such an extent that Liverpool picked up on his development and moved to sign him as a transfer solution in the January window.

Photo by NESimages/Geert van Erven/DeFodi Images via Getty Images

(Image: NESimages/Geert van Erven/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)

Since, Simons has evolved in his attempts to fill the void left by Gakpo’s departure. The Dutch international is becoming a key man at the Philips Stadium, and he could end up grabbing the attention of Jürgen Klopp on Merseyside due to his stylistic similarities with Firmino.

Simons is a forward who delivers goals and assists, but one who is very technical, unselfish and difficult to dispossess, even in the smallest of spaces. He is lightweight standing just 1.68m tall, but his remarkable close control allows him to cope when up against more physical opponents.

Simons is quick, decisive and progressive when on the ball, almost establishing himself as connecting players in the most dangerous of the field in Eindhoven. He can play in multiple positions in the final third including on the flanks and through the middle.

Klopp has labeled Firmino as Liverpool’s ‘connector’ in the past, once stating: “A football team is like an orchestra. You need different people to play different instruments. Some of them are louder, some not so loud, but they’re all important for our rhythm. Bobby plays like 12 instruments in our orchestra.”

Firmino will leave Liverpool once his contract expires in the coming weeks, with Gakpo appearing to be the most likely candidate to replace his unique presence. Klopp might already have a plan for life without his special number nine in that sense, but nevertheless, Simons looks like he’s cut from the same cloth.

If he keeps showcasing his potential to such a high level in the Eredivisie, it is surely a matter of time before he experiences the bright lights of the Premier League. Liverpool should make that take place at Anfield.

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