Official: Roberto Firmino joins Al Ahli on three year deal, agreement signed and sealed

Brazilian forward Roberto Firmino has joined Saudi Arabian club Al-Ahli on a free transfer after his Liverpool contract expired at the end of last season. The 31-year-old scored 111 goals in 362 games for the Reds after joining from Hoffenheim in 2015.

Firmino is one of several high-profile signings by Saudi clubs this summer, with the league aiming to become one of the top five in the world. Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy also recently joined Al-Ahli after leaving Chelsea, while players such as N’Golo Kante, Kalidou Koulibaly, Karim Benzema, Ruben Neves, and Marcelo Brozovic have also moved to Saudi Arabia.

Firmino formed an integral part of Liverpool’s attacking trio alongside Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane. He helped the team win the Champions League in 2019, the Premier League in 2020, and both the FA Cup and League Cup in 2022. He also scored the decisive goal in extra time as Liverpool beat Flamengo to win the FIFA Club World Cup in December 2019.

Firmino’s departure from Liverpool, along with Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and James Milner, was marked with a generous ovation from team-mates and fans after the final game of the season. However, it was the departing Firmino who received the loudest applause.

The trend of high-profile signings by Saudi clubs comes after a decision by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), which owns Newcastle United, to take over four leading clubs in the country. Steven Gerrard, the former Liverpool midfielder, has also become the manager of Al-Ettifaq.