Liverpool legend reveals why Jota deal is perfect for under-pressure Firmino

Roberto Firmino TEAMtalk

Liverpool legend John Aldridge has revealed why he thinks Diogo Jota’s signing will be a big benefit for Roberto Firmino at Anfield.

The Portuguese attacker arrived on Merseyside last weekend in a £45m move from Wolves, where he scored 62 goals in three seasons.

With Firmino, Mo Salah and Sadio Mane getting 57 goals between them last season, the pacy 23-year-old is seen as competition from the bench.

However, there are some suggestions that Jota has been brought in take Firmino’s place.

The Brazilian has been short on goals, particularly at home. It took him 16 months to score an Anfield goal before netting against Chelsea in the trophy-lifting game in July.

But Aldridge, who scored 63 goals in four seasons for the Reds, believes it will help bring out the best in Firmino.

Writing in the Liverpool Echo, he said: “Our striking options are looking really good now.

“Mo Salah showed on the opening weekend [against Leeds United] he’s as hungry as ever. Sadio Mane displayed what he’s all about again at Chelsea.

“I saw Jamie Carragher has compared him to the great John Barnes and I can certainly see where he’s coming from.

 

“Bobby Firmino did really well to create the first goal on Sunday [against Chelsea] and, even though he’s still not quite at his best and looks a bit low on confidence, he came to life in the second half around the edge of the box with his little touches and flicks.

“That second 45 [minutes] at Chelsea will do him good, as I believe will the arrival of Jota because, as I said last week, that knowledge that there is now someone on the bench who could potentially take his place should be a good motivating factor for him to get a few more goals.

“Quality back-up for the strike force is something we’ve talked about Liverpool needing for some time. It’s great to see it in place now.”

How Jota fits in at Liverpool

Aldridge also explained how he sees Jota fitting in at Liverpool.

He added: “He’s quick, his delivery is very good, he can play in a number of forward positions. He also knows where the back of the net is.

“Don’t forget a lot of his appearances for Wolves have come as a substitute. So that paints a bit of false picture when it comes to his creative ability.

“It might seem a lot of money to some people but Liverpool fans should trust the manager implicitly. Because look how many decisions he’s got right.

“If he believes Jota is worth that, with Ki-Jana Hoever going the other way, it could turn out to be a really good deal for Liverpool.”

 

READ MORE: Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is indebted to Fabinho for saving him the job of spending over £30million on a new defender, according to Aldridge.