Jurgen Klopp sent warning by Glen Johnson amid Roberto Firmino transfer speculation

Jurgen Klopp has been urged to resist any temptation to sell Roberto Firmino amid speculation Juventus are close to agreeing a deal for the Liverpool striker.

The Brazil international joined the club eight years ago when Brendan Rodgers was still in charge and has since cemented his position as a fundamental part of the success the club have enjoyed under Jurgen Klopp.

Firmino had to settle for more of a bit-part role last season, however, following the continued excellence of Diogo Jota and emergence of January signing Luis Diaz.

Sadio Mane’s departure to Bayern Munich appeared to have offered Firmino the opportunity to reestablish himself as Liverpool’s main striker, but the club-record purchase of Darwin Nunez could again compromise his hopes of regular football.

Reports in Italy suggest Juventus are on the verge of agreeing a £19million fee, but former Liverpool defender Glen Johnson feels Klopp can ill-afford to lose another of his mainstays, even if it means keeping a potentially unhappy player.

‘Let’s face it, if you’re a top player you want to play every single week so I don’t know how he feels about potentially playing a bit less next season,’ the ex-England international told GGRECON.

‘Jurgen Klopp obviously loves him and he’s a legend of the club, but is he going to be happy playing the last twenty minutes in certain games? Probably not.

‘You don’t want to lose too many players who know the club inside out. I don’t know if Firmino will be one of the first names on the teamsheet next season but I definitely believe that he will play a big part.’

Liverpool, meanwhile, continued their pre-season preparations with a 1-0 defeat against RB Salzburg in Austria on Wednesday evening.

The Reds will face a step up in