Liverpool attacker Roberto Firmino is refusing to enter discussions with other clubs before his contract with the Reds runs out this summer, according to his agent.
Earlier this week, it was reported that the Brazil international would not be extending his Liverpool contract, which is due to expire at the end of the season.
As a result, Firmino will leave Liverpool as a free agent eight years after arriving from Hoffenheim in 2015, and he is not expected to be short of suitors.
Clubs in Saudi Arabia are expected to make an effort to try to poach Firmino away from Europe, while Atletico Madrid could also make a move if Joao Felix joins Chelsea permanently.
As many as three Serie A clubs are also said to be lining up approaches, but Firmino is yet to make a decision on his next destination, as he remains fully committed to achieving success during his final months at Anfield.
© Reuters
Speaking to Football Insider, Firmino's representative Roger Wittmann revealed that Firmino currently has no desire to speak with other clubs while he strives to return to his best form.
"Our plan for the next couple of weeks – this is the plan of Roberto – is to show the manager and Liverpool finally again the best version of him to say goodbye. This is what he wants to do," Wittmann said.
"He has no clue what that means for him in the near future. He told us during the whole phase when we negotiated, 'I don't want to talk to anybody else, there's no need to do that'. He said it was a decision with the club.
"This was the first time in my life he's a free agent player and he said there was no need to talk to others! So he's not motivated by other clubs or by financial terms – far away from that.
"The club gave him the time as well, no pressure. And he never started to compare asking us to talk to different clubs. For us [it would be] easy but this was not his intention, it was just to find his own way. This is so far away from this normal business, believe me!"
Having achieved a wealth of domestic and continental success under Klopp, Wittmann admitted that Firmino was "really, really sad" to be calling it quits at Anfield, but the striker acknowledges that now is the time to move on.
© Reuters
"This was not the easiest decision for the boy. It took a long time to make his decision along with the family and the decision was with love," Wittmann added.
"Roberto is a peaceful man and said, 'I've had my time but it's time to go. Liverpool was the biggest, greatest, most successful time of my life together with the manager, together with my colleagues, together with all of them'. It was an unbelievable journey.
"He said the feeling with Liverpool, this is unbeatable. This club, the people, all of them. I saw so many rumours about the boy making a decision, even the club, but everything was with peace.
"He is the best Brazilian scorer ever in the Premier League, he's not a normal one, a top human. He was really, really sad as well, when he told us this would be his new challenge, it was unbelievably emotional."
Firmino has won the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup, EFL Cup, UEFA Super Cup, Club World Cup and Community Shield with Liverpool, posting 107 goals and 78 assists in 353 games.
The 31-year-old has nine goals and four assists to show from 26 games in the current campaign, but he has persistently struggled with injuries over the past couple of years.
