Xavi and Barcelona like Liverpool superstar whose contract expires this summer – report

Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino has been an excellent performer for the Premier League giants over the past half a decade or so. However, his time at Anfield might come to an end in the summer as his contract is set to expire on June 30.

And, according to journalist Jose Alvarez, Barcelona and their manager Xavi Hernandez ‘really like’ Firmino, who has seen his importance at Liverpool take a hit in recent months.

Signed from Hoffenheim in 2015, Firmino has made nearly 350 appearances for Liverpool and scored a total of 107 goals. The forward has been key to the success that they have achieved under Jurgen Klopp.

While the German tactician insists that he wants Firmino to stay at the club, the recent acquisitions of Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo have led to questions over whether the Brazilian has a place in the side.

And it seems like Barcelona might be watching the situation closely as the Catalan giants and their manager Xavi are reportedly great admirers of him.

Barça continue to be in financial turmoil and will once again scour the free-agent pool in the summer to reinforce their squad.

A new centre-forward will be on the agenda for Xavi & co. as they need to bring in a suitable backup for Robert Lewandowski, especially with Memphis Depay set to bid goodbye in the near future.

Borussia Dortmund’s Youssoufa Moukoko has emerged as a target for Barcelona. However, given the competition for his signing, it would not hurt for the Blaugrana to have some backup plans in place.

And Firmino, in that regard, could be an interesting option for the current La Liga leaders, if he does indeed decide not to sign a new contract with Liverpool.

However, Klopp continues to insist that he wants Firmino to stay at the club and the possibility of an extension remains a strong possibility.