Roberto Firmino to Liverpool: Reds 'consider hijacking' Manchester United move for Hoffenheim striker with late bid

Liverpool are weighing up a late move for Brazil striker Firmino despite United being close to signing the 23-year-old

Brazil striker Roberto Firmino in Copa America training (Getty Images)

Liverpool could be about to hijack Manchester United’s move for Brazilian forward Roberto Firmino after reports emerged that the Merseyside club are considering a late bid for the Hoffenheim forward.

Firmino is on his way to the Premier League according to his agent Roger Wittmann, who told German newspaper Bild last week: "All I can say is that he's moving to England.”

United appeared to be the clear front-runners in the race to sign the 23-year-old, and reports in Germany claim that the player will finalise personal terms once he has returned to Europe from international duty, with his attentions currently taken up by Brazil’s Copa America campaign.

But The Mirror today claims that Liverpool are weighing up making a late bid in order to try and snatch Firmino from under their rival’s nose, and with Hoffenheim looking to sell for around £20m, a higher offer than United’s reported £13.1m bid could see them steal a march on the Old Trafford outfit.

The news comes after Liverpool made their fourth signing of the summer after completing the £3.5m deal for Charlton defender Joe Gomez, with confirmation coming on Saturday that the 18-year-old has signed a long-term contract.

Brendan Rodgers has already seen James Milner, Danny Ings and Adam Bogdan join his squad, but a move for Firmino would show that Liverpool do have money to spend if they feel it necessary. At present, the £3.5m shelled out on Gomez remains the only transfer fee they have had to pay given that the other three signings were out of contract, although they will need to agree a compensation fee with Burnley for Ings otherwise have the price set at a tribunal given the striker is under the age of 24.

Hoffenheim and Brazil forward Roberto Firmino (Getty Images)

With that fee expected to be in the region of £6m, Liverpool’s spending is set to rise to just shy of £10m, drastically less than the £100m+ they shelled out last season following the sale of Luis Suarez. The club could yet see their financial spending power rocket once more if Manchester City, as expected, come in with a third offer for Raheem Sterling, with the Reds already rejecting the £40m bid that City made during the week for the England international.