Liverpool have completed the signing of Hoffenheim’s Brazilian forward Roberto Firmino for a fee reported to be in the region of £29million.

The 23-year-old, who is currently on international duty with the Selecao at the Copa America in Chile, has penned a long-term contract at Anfield, having spent just over four years with the Bundesliga outfit.

Firmino, who was linked with a move to England a year ago, made 151 appearances for Hoffenheim, scoring 47 times after joining them from Figueirense.

The deal is subject to the player successfully coming through a medical at Anfield.

Meanwhile, former Reds legend Steven Gerrard, who is preparing to join MLS outfit LA Galaxy, has admitted his former club struggled to find a suitable replacement for Luis Suarez following his move to Barcelona last summer.

And Gerrard believes that they may do so again during the current transfer window, having failed to qualify for the Champions League.

He told BT Sport: “I think to myself now ‘who do you go and get to replace Luiz Suarez if you’re Liverpool?’.

“You’re going to have endless amounts of cash and then does that player want to come with no Champions League (football)?”

Liverpool, 34.00 to win the Premier League in 2015-16, finished in sixth place last season, missing out on the Champions League but securing a place in the group stage of the Europa League.

Reds boss Brendan Rodgers has already been busy trying to strengthen his squad for the challenge of next season, having drafted in Joe Gomez and Adam Bogdan as well as England midfielder James Milner and England Under-21striker Danny Ings.