Liverpool are facing the new issue of needing to find another suitor for Darwin Nunez, as the Uruguayan forward is reportedly reluctant to move to Saudi Arabia at this point in his career. The Reds are keen to offload Nunez in the summer transfer window to help finance a record-breaking deal for Florian Wirtz, but they face several hurdles.
Negotiations with Bayer Leverkusen over Wirtz's transfer are ongoing, with Liverpool's latest bid of £100million plus £14m in add-ons submitted on Friday. Both parties remain optimistic about the deal's completion, and Liverpool are exploring ways to generate funds.
Selling Nunez, who has three years left on his contract, could be one of the most effective methods. The 25-year-old found regular playing time hard to come by under Arne Slot last season, starting only eight Premier League matches.
Nunez, Liverpool's record signing from Benfica in June 2022 for £85m (£64mplus add-ons), is a player the club hopes to recoup a significant portion of their investment from. According to The Athletic, Liverpool turned down a £60m offer from Al-Nassr in January, but have since received further interest from Saudi Arabia.
Al-Hilal reportedly reached out to Liverpool on Monday, and the Reds would be open to negotiations. However, it's understood that Nunez would prefer to remain in Europe, with Spain or Italy being his preferred destinations. Without a Middle East landing spot for Nunez, Liverpool may struggle to receive their full asking price.
Nunez, who has netted 40 goals and provided 26 assists in 143 appearances for Liverpool over three seasons, is reportedly on the radar of Atletico Madrid and Serie A champions Napoli. It's yet to be seen if either club will intensify their pursuit of Nunez.
Earlier this season, Slot had to address rumours that Nunez was being sidelined to avoid triggering a further £4.2 million payment to Benfica.
However, Slot acknowledged Nunez's dissatisfaction with his bench role, stating: "I don't know exactly what is going to happen. One of the main strengths we had this season is that everybody accepted his role."
Nunez isn't the only player potentially heading for the Anfield exit this summer. Harvey Elliott and Kostas Tsimikas are both anticipated to depart during the transfer window, while Luis Diaz's future is uncertain amid interest from Barcelona, despite Liverpool's reluctance to let the Colombian go.
Andy Robertson also conceded his position could be under threat if Milos Kerkez joins from Bournemouth in a £45m deal.