Liverpool attacker Roberto Firmino is reportedly on the brink of signing a new contract with the Merseyside giants.
The 31-year-old only has six months left to run on his existing deal at Anfield and is therefore open to start pre-contract discussions with foreign teams.
Should there be no change in Firmino's contract situation before now and the end of the season, the Brazil international will walk out of the club for nothing in the summer.
Despite his struggles to stay fit during the past two seasons, Firmino remains a vital part of Jurgen Klopp's setup, and the Liverpool boss has been vocal in his desire to keep the attacker.
Earlier on Wednesday, Firmino's agent Roger Wittman revealed that the former Hoffenheim man was in positive discussions with Liverpool over a new contract, although nothing has been signed yet.
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"It's a very long relationship between Roberto and Liverpool," Wittman told Sky Deutschland. "Roberto feels good. At the moment, we're in a great exchange and in February we'll probably know where the journey is going.
"But Roberto also has to have a say in order to reach an agreement with Liverpool. We're on the right track (and) we're having really good talks with Liverpool. They're a superbly positioned club."
Now, German journalist Florian Plettenberg claims that Firmino is edging closer to agreeing a new deal with Liverpool and is set to agree a two-year extension until the summer of 2025.
Firmino's proposed new contract would see him remain at Anfield until just before his 34th birthday, while taking his stay on Merseyside to nearly a decade since his 2015 arrival.
The South American has 107 goals and 78 assists to show from 348 matches in a Liverpool jersey over the last seven-and-a-half years, including nine goals and four assists from 21 outings in the current campaign.
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A host of accolades have come Firmino's way at Anfield, including the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup, EFL Cup, UEFA Super Cup, Club World Cup and Community Shield.
Firmino has not played for Liverpool since before the World Cup due to a troublesome calf injury, which has kept him out of the Reds' last nine matches across all competitions.
The striker's issue was not initially expected to keep him out for long, but he has remained in the treatment room over the past few weeks, and Klopp has not been able to put a timeframe on his recovery.
Firmino is joined by Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, Arthur, Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk in the treatment room as Liverpool prepare to return to Premier League action away to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday afternoon.
Ben Knapton
