Via Exho
Roberto Firmino might be the centre-forward most synonymous with Jurgen Klopp’s time at Liverpool
Klopp’s reign though both started and ended with a more traditional number nine.
Firmino is an Anfield legend, having won every major honour during his eight years at the club. Returning 111 goals and 72 assists from 362 appearances
Firmino’s transition into a false nine only began following Klopp’s appointment in October 2015, having initially failed to make an impression under predecessor Brendan Rodgers.
Klopp turned to Firmino after deciding Liverpool’s traditional number nine at the time did not suit his preferred style.
That striker in question was Christian Benteke.
While the Reds’ recruitment team wanted Firmino the previous, Rodgers wanted the Belgian. FSG ultimately ended up signing them both.
Benteke actually enjoyed a bright start to his Liverpool career, scoring the winner on his home debut against AFC Bournemouth and netting twice from his opening six games
then an untimely injury struck, for Benteke after establishing himself as first choice under Rodgers, and Klopp was in the dugout upon his return.
While he still scored 10 goals for the Reds in his maiden season at the club, registering five assists, only 20 of his 42 appearances came from the star
After starting all six of those opening games under Rodgers, only three times did he manage back-to-back starts under Klopp
On the bench for both the League Cup and Europa League finals, he would start just twice in the Premier League in 2016.
It was no surprise when Liverpool moved Benteke on after just one season. In August 2016
Remarkably the Reds had managed to recoup pretty much their entire outlay on the now unwanted striker.
Rodgers had been determined to sign Benteke, considering he had regularly tormented Liverpool during his time with Aston Villa
Having scored 49 goals from 101 games in three seasons for the Villans, Benteke had established himself as one of the Premier League’s deadliest forwards.
One thing that was a surprise was the fee Liverpool paid for the forward - at least to those at Villa Park
The Reds paid £32.5m to bring the striker to Anfield and former Villa manager Tim Sherwood has revealed the club’s stunned reaction to Liverpool’s transfer bid.
Sherwood
“At the end of the season Brendan called me and said he was going to sign Christian,”
“I tried my best to put him off.
“I remember ringing the chairman and I told him Christian is going. And he said ‘you’re joking me?’
“It wasn’t like, ‘you’re joking we don’t want to lose him.’ It was like ‘You’re joking, nobody is paying that?’”
Prior to Jack Grealish’s £100m move to Manchester City in the summer of 2021, Benteke’s £32.5m move to Liverpool made him the highest outgoing transfer in Aston Villa’s history
Sherwood was sacked on October 25, 2015 - just three weeks after Rodgers’ own dismissal at Liverpool.
Considering how quickly the striker found himself unfancied at Anfield, it was a deal that failed to work out for any of the parties involved
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