Roberto Firmino has underlined his commitment to Liverpool by claiming he "of course" wants to stay at the club.
The Brazilian was signed by Brendan Rodgers back in 2015 and has been a major part of the Reds' success under Jurgen Klopp. He previously formed part of their formidable front three alongside Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, but the latter has moved on as Liverpool continue to regenerate their squad.
Firmino's place is also under threat with Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz and now Darwin Nunez all arriving over the past two years. It means a starting spot is no longer guaranteed and, with one year left on his contract, a move away has been touted amid interest from Juventus.
The forward started in the Community Shield win over Manchester City on Saturday and claimed after the contest that he wasn't thinking of a move elsewhere. He told TNT Sports Brasil: "I love this team, this city and the fans. I'm here. I want to stay, of course."
Firmino faces plenty of competition to get the minutes he is seeking this term. Liverpool will, once again, be fighting on a variety of fronts and rotation will no doubt be a major part of Klopp's plan throughout the season.
The German has spoken fondly of his Brazilian forward over the past week, as speculation mounts regarding a potential exit. The manager backed Firmino's quality but did not offer a clear indication of what the club intend to do with his future.
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He said: “Bobby is crucial for us, the heart and soul of this team, the way we played in the last years was only possible because of Bobby. That’s why I’m really happy he was able to train for the majority of the time here in pre-season so far. Everything looks really good so I am absolutely fine. There is no doubt about Bobby’s quality. All the rest we will see how this year goes but he is essential for us.”
Nunez, who came on to replace Firmino in Saturday's game at the King Power Stadium, was able to score late on to secure his side's victory. The Uruguayan had been under pressure to produce following his club-record move and Klopp was full of praise after his cameo.
He said of Nunez: "In the first few games (of pre-season) we were not even close to the fitness level of today and then when he came on, we passed each ball for him to chase it and after the third ball he was completely killed and then everybody judged his first touches and these kind of things. It's just a joke but we have to live with that, he will deal with it brilliantly. We are patient and we know he can do good stuff."
