Darwin Nunez hasn’t been at the top level for Liverpool this season, with his Anfield exit now feeling as if it’s a matter of when, not if.
Since the start of the 2024-25 season, Nunez has been linked with moves away from Liverpool consistently, with Arne Slot even turning down a £59million bid from Saudi Arabia for him in January.
This summer, however, things have changed with the Dutchman now actively looking to sell Nunez in order to bolster his ranks further.
Indeed, Liverpool have already welcomed Jeremie Frimpong to their ranks and with the transfer of Florian Wirtz likely to be announced on Friday, the Reds look set to be one of the busiest teams in the Premier League.
Florian Wirtz celebrates with a knee slide after scoring for Germany against Portugal in the UEFA Nations League semi-final.
Photo by Marcel Engelbrecht – firo sportphoto/Getty Images
And, with clubs such as Napoli and AC Milan now vying for Nunez’s services, Gabby Agbonlahor has shared his thoughts on a potential Liverpool target who could be brought in to replace him.
Viktor Gyokeres may not be a ‘guaranteed’ goalscorer after what happened to Darwin Nunez at Liverpool
When Nunez was initially brought to Anfield by Jurgen Klopp, fans were ecstatic about his arrival after the performance he put in against Liverpool during the Champions League the season prior.
Upon his arrival, however, although he was full of energy and tried to give his all whenever called upon, things didn’t quite work out with the Uruguay international becoming the Reds’ fifth-choice attacker under Slot.
With this in mind, it’s not hard to see why Liverpool have been linked with several new strikers this summer.
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Some seem to be higher on their shortlist than others, but one player who’s highly sought-after by most top-flight clubs is Viktor Gyokeres.
And, while speaking live on talkSPORT, Agbonlahor gave his thoughts on the Sweden international and outlined why he may not be a suitable candidate for Premier League teams.
“The problem with the [Viktor] Gyokeres deal is, you know, we’ve seen with Darwin Nunez, scored a lot of goals in the Portuguese league, he’s come to the Premier League and it’s not worked,” he said.
“Gyokeres is 27, yes, he scored bags of goals last season, 54 goals in 52 games, but I don’t know, I feel like Arsenal need someone who’s guaranteed.”
Liverpool need a new striker for next season
One position Slot really needs to reinforce this summer is his number nine.
Hugo Ekitike, Benjamin Sesko and Gyokeres have all been linked with an interest, but seeing as though Liverpool are spending £116million on Wirtz, a move for a striker has been put on hold.
If Liverpool want to become one of the most dominant teams in Europe again, a regular-scoring striker is the best way for them to do that.
This would then allow the likes of Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo to go back into their more natural position of left-wing, while also giving Wirtz the perfect target for his forward passes.
Liverpool's Cody Gakpo pictured at the premiere of the F1 Movie.
Photo by Kate Green/Getty Images
As mentioned, Gyokeres is highly sought-after this summer, and it’s clear to see why with Sporting boss Rui Borges even dubbing the towering Swede as a ‘phenomenal‘ player.
The former Coventry man should be one of the highest names on Liverpool’s shortlist of players to target, especially since he bagged 54 goals last term.
But, at the moment, it’s anyone’s guess who Liverpool could end up with leading their line.
However, one thing is for sure: if they don’t manage to sign one, it’s hard to see how their challenge for the title won’t be far more difficult than it was this time around.