Rio de Janerio, March 31 (IANS) Brazil’s latest football sensation, Roberto Firmino, could be set for a summer move to the English Premier League, according to media reports in Brazil.
The 23-year old player has been capped only four times for the Selecao but he is already being touted as a national team mainstay by Brazil’s media, Xinhua reported.
The attacker’s status as one of Brazil’s emerging stars was confirmed in the team’s friendly victories over France and Chile over the past week.
He gave an assist in the 3-1 defeat of Les Bleus in Paris on March 27 and scored a coolly taken winner in the Selecao’s 1-0 victory over Chile in London on March 29.
Those performances, and his form for German outfit Hoffenheim – have made him a target of Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal, ESPN Brasil reported on Monday.
It is understood that Hoffenheim have placed a minimum price tag of 25 million euros on the attacking midfielder.
Firmino’s rapid ascent has also caught the high of sponsors. On Monday, the former Figueirense player signed a five-year contract with Adidas in a deal said to be worth 10 million euros.