Liverpool schedule private Firmino chat after audacious swap transfer mooted

Liverpool could lose the second of their Three Amigos this summer - if Roberto Firmino indicates he wants to leave Anfield in a bid to go to the World Cup.

Jurgen Klopp's squad will begin to assemble for pre-season on Monday, boosted by the news that the disappointment of losing Sadio Mane to Bayern Munich has been soothed by Mo Salah's bombshell decision to sign a new £350,000-a-week contract.

Now Firmino, with just 12 months left on his current deal, is attracting interest from Juventus - and the Italian giants reckon they can snap him up for less than £20million. Liverpool have no interest in suggestions that Juve could offer French midfielder Adrien Rabiot in exchange for the Brazilian striker. But they are planning talks with Firmino and his advisers in the coming weeks.

And if the striker indicates he would like to seek a new challenge then they are likely to cash in rather than lose the 30-year-old for nothing next summer.

Firmino is a huge hero with the Kop and has been a star performer since arriving from Hoffenheim for £29million seven years ago. His chemistry with Salah and Mane was a key factor in Klopp landing both the Champions League and Premier League in successive seasons.

But he has suffered with fitness issues in recent seasons as well as the arrival of Diogo Jota. And the £85million capture of Darwin Nunez is another challenge for him to overcome.

Firmino has lost his place in Brazil's squad in recent months and knows he will have to play regularly in the first three months of the new season to force his way into the reckoning for the World Cup.