JURGEN KLOPP believes Roberto Firmino’s decision to sign a new deal with Liverpool is a clear signal to other stars the Reds are going places.
The Brazil striker this week put pen to paper on an improved contract which will keep him at Anfield until 2023.
But with the club involved in negotiations to secure both his strike partners Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah on similarly improved terms, Klopp believes the deal is a firm statement of intent.
“This is one very important step [for the club], absolutely,” said the Liverpool boss. “He is the first to commit but for sure he won’t be the last.”
Firmino, 26, who joined the club for £27million from Hoffenheim in 2015, has had his best season in a Liverpool shirt this season with 27 goals in 50 appearances.
But while those sorts of numbers have tended to attract unwanted attention from bigger European clubs – Philippe Coutinho left for Barcelona in January – Klopp now feels confident he can hang on to his best performers.
“He feels completely comfortable and is planning for the long-term here.
“That’s becoming rare because if you are not Barcelona or not Real Madrid then there’s usually another club somewhere you can go to.
“It’s really good news for us. He’s absolutely a big factor in our future and perfect news.”
Mohamed Salah is another Reds star the club will face a tough battle to keep hold of in the summer.
Real Madrid are thought to have made the Egypt international their priority transfer target but Liverpool have no intention of selling their prized asset.
The Sun claim Liverpool are ready to offer Salah £185,000-a-week in order to keep him at Anfield – double his current £90,000-a-week wages.
One player who does look to have escaped their grasp though is midfielder Emre Can.
The German is out of contract at the end of the season and appears to be closing in on a move to Juventus.
Can arrived in Liverpool in 2014 from Bayer Leverkusen, having previously won the Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich in 2013.
Source:www.express.co.uk