Of all the potential departures from Liverpool Football Club this summer, few are believed to be more certain than striker Darwin Nuñez. The physically gifted Uruguayan international arrived at Liverpool in 2022 from Benfica in a £64M deal rising to £85M with add-ons.
He arrived as a frighteningly complete physical talent but one with plenty of rough edges, inconsistencies, and question marks. At times under previous manager Jürgen Klopp he looked like he was close to answering those. Under Arne Slot in 2024-25, though, he appeared to take a step back.
Now, everyone seems on the same page regarding the idea that the club are best off if they can recoup some of their investment and the player, now 25 years of age, needs a change of scenery if he’s to make the most of his talents and get his career back on track.
The only question is where he wants to go—and who can afford him. According to The Mirror at least, Nuñez wants to stay in Europe, and in addition to long-running links with La Liga’s Atletico Madrid, there has also been a recent uptick in Serie A chatter focusing on league winners Napoli.
Whether Atletico Madrid or Napoli can afford him, though, is an unknown. For Liverpool’s part, a £60M bid from Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr is believed to inform their minimum valuation of the player, and Al-Hilal have been linked with the player this summer.
The player, though, has final say. If Nuñez is more interested in competing at the highest levels as a footballer than he is in a quick payday and an early semi-retirement in the Saudi Pro League and sportswashing project, he can resist the move regardless Liverpool’s desire to maximise their return.
The question then will become whether the Reds are willing to potentially accept less from a club like Atleti or Napoli to get something back for Nuñez and to get his wages off the books or if there becomes a point at which keeping him another season makes sense.