Liverpool have dominated transfer headlines this summer with numerous players getting linked with an Anfield switch over the last few weeks.
Arne Slot has already added Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong to his ranks, and even though this would be an impressive window by Liverpool’s standards, they’re not going to stop there.
Milos Kerkez is the next player expected to walk through the Anfield doors, with the Bournemouth ace expected to make the move for around £40million.
One of the other areas within Slot’s ranks that could do with bolstering is their striker, as Darwin Nunez once again failed to meet expectations.
Darwin Nunez looking dejected after the Champions League clash between Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain.
Photo by Molly Darlington/Copa/Getty Images
And, with that in mind, it’s not a surprise to see the Reds getting linked with Victor Osimhen, especially with Napoli’s interest in Nunez and Federico Chiesa.
Liverpool will not be given a discount for the transfer of Victor Osimhen this summer
Liverpool have been rumoured to be interested in a handful of strikers already this season, with Osimhen among those mentioned.
The Nigeria international spent the 2024-25 campaign on loan to Galatasaray, and although the Turkish Super Lig outfit want to sign him permanently, the striker seems to be keeping his options open.
And, according to Italian journalist Valter De Maggio, it seems like talks between the two clubs have taken place, with Liverpool even proposing an “equal exchange” of Nunez and Chiesa for Osimhen.
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“There is a market twining between Naples and Liverpool. The English club wants Osimhen and Napoli, from this point of view, does not make discounts on the clause, so it asks for the 75 million euros as per the contract,” he said on Radio Goal via Area Napoli.
“Liverpool would have opened to Napoli, proposing an equal exchange between the players involved in this operation. Aurelio De Laurentiis, however, has other ideas and from that ear he doesn’t hear us: the president of the blue club asks for Chiesa, Nunez and 20 million for the Osimhen card.”
Victor Osimhen of Galatasaray celebrates after score a goal during the Ziraat Turkish Cup Quarter-Final match between Fenerbahce and Galatasaray at Ulker Stadium
Photo by Isa Terli/Anadolu via Getty Images
Liverpool could do much worse than Victor Osimhen this summer
Seeing as though both teams want players from one another, it makes a lot of sense for some sort of swap deal to take place.
There’s no denying that the 2024-25 campaign is likely to be the last time that we see Nunez in a Liverpool kit.
The Uruguayan massively underperformed compared to the likes of Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo as he only managed 14 goal contributions across all competitions.
Player Games Goals Assists
Darwin Nunez 47 7 7
Luis Diaz 50 17 8
Cody Gakpo 49 18 7
The 2024-25 seasons of Darwin Nunez, Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo in numbers.
Indeed, he wasn’t given as much game time as the other two, but even when Slot did choose to give him a chance, he often failed to perform.
Osimhen may have had his moments of madness, such as last season when he demanded a way out and ended up in Turkey, but there’s no denying that he’s a world-class striker.
In fact, Italian legend Gianfranco Zola even described the Nigerian as “devastating” after he was asked who was better out of Osimhen and Romelu Lukaku.
At the moment, it’s anyone’s guess what could happen, but with the way things are headed, it’s hard to see how Nunez doesn’t end up as a Napoli player this term.