Liverpool: Roberto Firmino reveals year-long Anfield pursuit amid Manchester United interest

Liverpool new signing Roberto Firmino says he decided to move to Anfield after being pursued by manager Brendan Rodgers for over a year.

The £29m ($45m) signing, according to BBC Sport, from Bundesliga side Hoffenheim was heavily linked with a move to Manchester United, according to The Express, before the Reds clinched the deal in one of several new additions to arrive on Merseyside.

After Raheem Sterling's record move to Manchester City, there is pressure on the 23-year-old to fill the void left by the England international.

And Firmino is relishing the opportunity to impress in England, where he could be called upon in a variety of competitions.

"I decided for Liverpool because they wanted me for over a year," he told Bild according to Goal.com. "There was a certain sympathy from the beginning and I had a good feeling from the start.

"I come to the best league in the world. I can grow there. Physically, it will be a new challenge due to the big number of games to be played with the five competitions.

"I am looking forward [to seeing] the fans at Anfield. I am already having goosebumps if I think of them singing You'll Never Walk Alone."

The fee that Liverpool paid for Firmino makes his arrival the highest profile of the signings made by Rodgers so far this summer.

Expected to slot in alongside fellow Brazilian Philippe Coutinho, Firmino will have a critical role to play in helping Liverpool return to the Champions League, which they failed to do last term after finishing sixth in the Premier League.

And the creative midfielder says the presence of Coutinho – Liverpool's player of the year last season – will assist him adapting to his new surroundings.

"I don't see my fee as burden. Rather as an appreciation and a compliment," he added. "It is an advantage that Coutinho is there. He is my compatriot and knows me and can make my familiarisation easier. And aside from that, we get on well."