For 22 year old Brazilian Roberto Firmino, it's most certainly been a season to remember. With 14 goals and 11 assists, he has sparkled, and certainly caught the eye of numerous coaches around the globe. However, it is debatable whether he has outclassed other attacking members of the Brazilian squad, and I'm going to give you my thoughts on his World Cup chances, and also a summer move.
It is unquestionable that Firmino has been the catalyst which has sparked Hoffenheim to rise from last season's 16th place finish in the Bundesliga to this season's 9th place spot. Truth be told, he has received some much welcomed help from the likes of Kevin Volland and Anthony Modeste, but Firmino has undeniably stood out in a side that will finish comfortably in mid table.
As a result of his breathtaking season, many have began to question whether he is deserved of a place in Luiz Felipe Scolari's Brazilian World Cup squad for this summer, so I have decided to compare his performance with a few of his main competitors.
Using the Squawka Comparison Matrix, comparing the stats of Firmino to those of Oscar, Philippe Coutinho and Willian. The conclusion that these statistics lead me to believe was that Coutinho has clearly been the best of the 4 attacking midfielders this season. He had the highest total score (707), and the highest numbers in terms of total, successful and key passes ( 1426, 1144 and 57 respectively.) However, when it all came down to goals and assists, Firmino lead both with his 14 goals and 11 assists. Although some could say he was supposedly playing in a "weaker" league, let's not forget he was playing for the side 9th place in that league, while Coutinho, Oscar and Willian play for the top 2 sides in England.
However, Firmino has played much more game time than the 3, (2733 mins in comparison to Oscar's 2044, Coutinho's 2281 and Willian's 1587) so it is still a very difficult decision for Scolari to make. The Brazilian coach has been recently quoted to say that he "knows 21 of the 23 players for his squad," and when he makes his announcement on May 7th, I fully expect to see Firmino named simply because of his success rate this season, as well as his versatility to play either as an attacking midfielder or as a striker.
Even if he doesn't make the cut this time around, if he maintains his sparkling form he will certainly be a member of the 2018 World Cup squad, when he will be 27. As for his club future, there are a number of ways that the transfer window could go for him.
Clubs reportedly interested in Firmino include Inter Milan, Liverpool and Arsenal, but the playmaker recently signed a new deal with Hoffenheim, and spoke of his delight at the club "I am really excited about being at Hoffenheim 1899. I really like the idea the club is after. We are playing a thrilling way and the team spirit among the squad is just great."
However, I don't think it'll be long before the young attacker gets a big move, and I will leave with a compilation of his goals and assists from this season.