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When Ian Ayre boarded a flight from Manchester to Santiago via Paris on Monday afternoon his mood was one of cautious optimism.

The Liverpool chief executive had been given sufficient encouragement that a deal for Brazil international Roberto Firmino could be done that he decided to embark on the 7,250-mile journey to South America.

The Reds were willing to meet Hoffenheim’s demands for the 23-year-old attacking midfielder with a fee of £21million up front with a further £8million to be paid in add-ons.

But there was much work to be done. Ayre’s sizeable task was to convince Firmino that his future lay at Anfield.

Liverpool had been here before in recent years and endured regular bouts of bitter disappointment as marquee signings slipped from their grasp.

Deals for the likes of Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Willian, Diego Costa, Mohamed Salah, Yevhen Konoplyanka, Alexis Sanchez and Memphis Depay had all floundered for a variety of reasons to leave fans cursing the Reds’ inability to get prized targets over the line.

GALLERY: Reds' new signing

Liverpool knew that Firmino had his heart set on a move to England but there were doubts about whether they could get him. Would their lack of Champions League football count against them?

For all the positive vibes from the player’s camp, were they merely using the Reds’ pursuit to smoke out interest from elsewhere? Liverpool were aware that both Manchester United and Manchester City were also keeping close tabs on him.

There was also the small matter of Brazil being in the midst of a Copa America campaign and preparing for Saturday’s quarter-final showdown with Paraguay. Liverpool had to be respectful to Dunga’s preparations.

Watch: Roberto Firmino highlights

After completing the 17-hour trip, Ayre immediately set about negotiating with Firmino’s representatives from the ROGON agency in Santiago – Chile’s capital city where the Brazilians are currently based.

Things moved quicker than anyone at Anfield had envisaged.

They thought the best they could hope for this week was a deal in principle, a verbal agreement until after the Copa America, which while welcome would have left Liverpool vulnerable to a late offer from a rival.

But moving swiftly and decisively, Ayre was able to go much further. Helped by a ringing endorsement of life at Anfield from Firmino’s Brazilian team-mate Philippe Coutinho, personal terms were quickly agreed on a five-year contract. A buoyant Firmino was ready to sign on the dotted line.

Liverpool officials believe they have pulled off a major coup

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By 9pm UK time on Tuesday the deal was in place and with the loose ends tied up overnight – including the relevant paperwork sorted out with Hoffenheim – Liverpool were in a position to announce the news of landing Firmino at 7am today.

He will fly to Merseyside to undergo a medical following the completion of the Copa America. The Reds must also secure a work permit for him but don’t envisage any problems on that front.

There were issues with third party ownership with Hoffenheim only buying part of his economic rights when he joined them for 4million euros from Figueirense in his homeland in 2010. As a result the German club will have to pass on a chunk of that initial £21million fee to other investors.

All the reaction to the Reds' new signing

But Firmino, who was watched extensively by the Reds’ European scouts last season, is Anfield bound and jubilant Liverpool officials believe they have pulled off a major coup.

Boss Brendan Rodgers was desperate to bolster his attacking options with real quality this summer after the Reds lacked a cutting edge for so much of last season.

And Firmino, who does his best work as an attacking midfielder playing behind a striker, fits the bill. He netted 47 goals in 151 games for Hoffenheim and has already scored four goals in nine internationals for Brazil since breaking into the squad last year.

His tally of 21 assists over the past two seasons is more than any other Brazilian in the top five European leagues. Only Wolfsburg’s Kevin De Bruyne (74), exceeded Firmino’s tally of 69 key passes from open play in the Bundesliga last term.

He creates and he scores. Crucially, he also has an excellent fitness record having played in 33 of Hoffenheim’s 34 league games over each of the past three seasons.

Time will tell whether he can quickly adapt to the demands of the Premier League and give Liverpool an instant return on their significant investment.

But securing his services represents the first real statement of intent from the Reds that they are serious about mounting a top-four push and getting back to challenging for honours.

It also suggests that lessons have been learned from previous windows. With Firmino the fifth signing of the summer, Liverpool are getting their business done early and with a minimum of fuss.

For supporters still hurt from the dismal end to last season, it’s a welcome sign of ambition.