Rio Ferdinand makes harsh Roberto Firmino claim and slams Liverpool for selling Sadio Mane

Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand believes Liverpool should have sold Roberto Firmino instead of Sadio Mane before the start of the season.

The Senegal international joined Bayern Munich last summer for a fee of £32.5 million including add-ons. He had entered the final year of his contract at Anfield after last season.

As per the Daily Mail, the former Southampton winger is earning £250,000 a week in wages at the Allianz Arena. Mohamed Salah, meanwhile, was handed a new three-year contract last summer, which put him on a club-record salary of £400,000 per week.

Ferdinand has been left baffled by why the Reds didn't budge into any apparent wage demands Mane may have had. According to him, selling Firmino, who also entered the final year of his Liverpool deal at the start of the season, would have been wiser.

What a year for Sadio Mane 🏆 https://t.co/0x6NQWEz8D

He said on his YouTube channel (h/t Liverpool.com):

"Why didn't they just pay him the money to stay. I think they let the wrong one go. They should have let Firmino go.

"I just don't understand how you let someone who is actually world-class at that moment in time, who ideally would have liked to have stayed if you gave the contract he was looking for, or something similar to what Salah got.

"I just can’t get my head around it. Every Liverpool fan must be sat there thinking, 'Wow, how have we let this slip through our hands, a player of that caliber?"

Mane, 30, was arguably the first major signing of manager Jurgen Klopp's reign in Merseyside. He registered 120 goals and 48 assists in 269 games across competitions during his six seasons with the Reds.

His 23 goals and five assists in 53 games across competitions last term pushed the Premier League giants towards an unprecedented quadruple. While they won just two of four possible trophies, Mane also helped Senegal win their first-ever AFCON trophy last year.

FC Bayern Munich has an amazing attacking trio 2022/23 (all competitions) 👏

🇸🇳 Sadio Mane
▪️ 23 games, 11 goals & 4 assists

🇩🇪 Jamal Musiala
▪️ 22 games, 12 goals & 10 assists

🇩🇪 Serge Gnabry
▪️ 23 games, 10 goals & 10 assists https://t.co/V7eLqfdFl2

Agent gives update on Firmino's contract talks with Liverpool

Liverpool are eager to hand Roberto Firmino a new contract before he becomes a free agent this summer. His agent, Roger Wittman, recently told Sky Germany (h/t ThisIsAnfield):

"We will probably know where the journey is going [later in February]."

He added that the parties are on the "right track" with regard to Firmino's contract renewal. Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, and Cody Gakpo have been added to manager Jurgen Klopp's squad since the start of 2022.

Despite the influx of quality attackers, the Reds seemingly want to keep Firmino, 31, beyond this campaign. He has registered nine goals and four assists in 21 games across competitions this term.

Gary Neville:

“The best front three over the last 10 years, forget City’s, it was Mane, Salah and Firmino. They were the best since United had Rooney, Ronaldo and Tevez, they were unbelievable. That Liverpool front three has set the standard over the last 10 years.” https://t.co/8o34YXHHCB

However, he has neither scored nor assisted in 15 of those appearances.