According to Spanish outlet Don Balon, European giants Real Madrid are planning to offer Liverpool £43m plus Marco Asensio for Roberto Firmino. 

The article does not specify when Los Blancos are planning to launch this bid, but it could be this month given the fact that they have still failed to replace Cristiano Ronaldo at the Santiago Bernabéu.

If this were launched in the summer, this would be an offer worth looking at. Asensio is just 22, and is highly thought of across Europe. What's more is that he could fill the attacking midfielder or number ten position that The Reds seem to be lacking at the moment. The Spaniard could fill the hole left by Philippe Coutinho when he left last January.

Of course, the club would then need to replace Firmino, but they could do so with the extra funds they will be given. They could even make a move for 22-year-old Timo Werner, who is five years younger than the Brazilian. Therefore, Liverpool can get two of Europe's most promising 22-year-olds for Firmino, which would be a tempting prospect.

However, in this season, in particular, Liverpool simply cannot risk a deal like this one. If the Champions League champions were wanting to bring the striker to Madrid this month, it could do some serious damage to Jürgen Klopp's title challenge. There is no guarantee that Asensio would be an instant success, and while they sit at the apex of the Premier League, four points ahead of rivals Man City, this would be a terrible decision.