Darwin Nuñez arrived at Liverpool one of Europe’s most statistically dominant forwards, a player who based on statistics seemed clear of then-Real Sociedad striker Alexander Isak and the only young attacker who looked like he might be on the level of Manchester City signing Erling Haaland.
Stylistically he represented a change for the Reds—or would have to, to be successful—from Roberto Firmino-false nine to a next gen Edinson Cavani or Robert Lewandowski. The reality never quite met those hopes and expectations, and when Arne Slot arrived it soon became clear the new manager wanted something else.
For Nuñez, that meant that for much of 2025 it has been a foregone conclusion he would depart. First came links to the Saudi Pro League. Then supposed Atletico Madrid interest. Now, the frontrunners are Serie A side Napoli—and there are new claims of a €55M bid either made or incoming.
Around €5M of the proposed fee is made up of add-ons. Converted to Pounds, that’s around £47.5M with add-ons and about £43.2M up front. Liverpool paid £64M as a base fee to Benfica to sign Nuñez in 2022, with that fee potentially rising to £85M with add-ons—of which it is unclear just how much has been paid.
Regardless the total the Reds have paid Benfica, it has been reliably suggested it would take a good bit more than Napoli are offering to get him moving this summer, and Liverpool do not appear positioned to do the Serie A side or the striker any favours on the fee front given Nuñez would need replacing.