KEY POINTS

  • Alan Aldridge weighs in on the recent form of Liverpool's Roberto Firmino
  • The Liverpool legend proposes Erling Haaland as a replacement for the Brazilian forward
  • Haaland has been on the radar of an array of top European clubs

A proposal to replace Firmino with one of the best strikers of modern soccer could soon be sent to Liverpool.

Roberto Firmino has been a commodity for Jurgen Klopp for years. However, the Brazilian hasn’t been able to contribute goals for the Reds since the thrashing of Crystal Palace this past December.

Weighing in on Firmino’s form, Liverpool’s all-time great John Aldridge pointed out that his former club should consider ditching the 29-year-old for a younger and more prolific striker in Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland.

According to Aldridge, he would do his best to convince Liverpool to make a move for Haaland in the next transfer window.

"Roberto Firmino's form has been a concern for some time, so I would encourage Liverpool to do all they can to sign Erling Haaland next summer," Aldridge recently told Sunday World.

Liverpool's Roberto Firmino celebrates the winner against Tottenham
Roberto Firmino has been at Liverpool FC since 2015. POOL / PETER POWELL

The record-breaking striker further explained that with Diogo Jota out, Klopp doesn’t have a “back-up” goal scorer during games where his attacking powerhouse trio couldn’t find its rhythm.

For Aldridge, Haaland would be costly but could surely fill the void.

"Liverpool don't have a Plan B option in their forward line and as we have seen with their slump in form over the last few weeks, they don't have a back-up plan when Mo Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino are not firing,” the 62-year-old assessed. "A player like Haaland would give them that variation and while he would cost in excess of £100 million to sign from Dortmund, he is the man I'd like to see Liverpool go for.”

Ultimately, Aldridge thinks the Norwegian sensation is the missing piece Klopp needs in order to make his team serious title contenders once again.

"This lad looks to be the real deal and he has lived up to his hype time and again over the last year,” the Reds legend emphasized. “He's strong, direct, great in the air and a brilliant finisher. On top of that, he is young and hungry, which is what Liverpool need in a team that has lost a little of its bite amid their current slump.”

"Haaland has everything you look to be a top center-forward and having him alongside Mane, Salah and Diogo Jota next season would give Liverpool a real chance to spring back into contention for the top trophies," he continued.

This season, Haaland has continued where he left off in terms of hitting the back of the net. He has already scored 14 goals in 13 matches for the Bundesliga side with a goal average of 1.1 per 90 minutes of football.

Erling Braut Haaland scored 10 goals in last season's Champions League with Red Bull Salzburg and then Borussia Dortmund
Erling Braut Haaland scored 10 goals in last season's Champions League with Red Bull Salzburg and then Borussia Dortmund AFP / Ina Fassbender