Brazilian footballer Roberto Firmino has officially joined Al-Ahli, a Saudi Arabian team, following the expiration of his contract with Liverpool, the English club.
The 31-year-old Brazilian striker bid farewell to Liverpool after an illustrious eight-year stint, during which he achieved remarkable success by securing every major club title. Firmino's impressive record includes 111 goals in 362 appearances and winning the Premier League, Champions League, and Club World Cup while representing Anfield.
Firmino's move to Al-Ahli was announced by the club through a social media video. This development comes shortly after Al-Ahli finalized the signing of Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy from Chelsea, adding to their growing roster of talented players.
Speculations suggest that Firmino's contract with Al-Ahli will extend until 2026. The club recently clinched the Saudi First Division League title, earning promotion back to the Saudi Pro League for the upcoming 2023-24 season.
Si Señor 🫡🪄[a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WelcomeFirmino?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"]#WelcomeFirmino[/a] [a href="https://t.co/jZGcJXCUon"]pic.twitter.com/jZGcJXCUon[/a]
— النادي الأهلي السعودي (@ALAHLI_FC) [a href="https://twitter.com/ALAHLI_FC/status/1676337450006765570?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"]July 4, 2023[/a][/blockquote]
Al-Ahli is among the four teams that have recently come under the ownership of Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth Public Investment Fund.
Furthermore, the Gulf state has witnessed a growing trend of high-profile football stars moving to its leagues since Cristiano Ronaldo's switch to Al-Nassr in January. Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard recently took charge as the coach of Al-Ettifaq, while Karim Benzema, N'Golo Kante, Kalidou Koulibaly, and Marcelo Brozovic have also made moves to Saudi clubs.
Upon leaving Liverpool, Firmino expressed his sentiments:
Firmino at an EPL match for Liverpool. Source: Getty
