Liverpool has played its first pre-season game of the summer, and preparations are underway behind the scenes for the new season. In part, that will involve the transfer market too.
Though Darwin Nunez scored against Preston North End, there is a chance that he moves on. Harvey Elliott and Tyler Morton are being linked with West Ham United among others, and there are more Liverpool players potentially heading for the exit door too.
Here is the Liverpool.com verdict on the transfer gossip to emerge around the Reds today. One name emerged fresh on Monday out of the blue, while there is also the latest on Napoli's pursuit of Nunez — a deal that seems to make a lot of sense.
Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace)
Liverpool has made contact about the possibility of signing Jean-Philippe Mateta from Crystal Palace. That is according to the French outlet Foot Mercato, which reports that the Reds have identified him as a cheaper alternative to other options under consideration.
Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike are going to cost a huge amount, if they are attainable at all, while Mateta is being touted as being available for a price tag of between $58 million (£43 million) and $70 million (£52 million).
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"He’s an old-fashioned striker, you can play a little more direct," Thierry Henry, who coached Mateta at the Olympics with France, said last summer.
"He can keep the ball. He’s a boring striker to play against, he doesn’t lose the ball much, and he goes at the last defender. He uses his physicality, he’s good with his head, and he scores."
Liverpool.com says: At 28, Mateta is hardly an obvious target for the Reds. He did well last season and can clearly score goals, but he would be relatively expensive for a not-particularly-long-term option.
Darwin Nunez latest
Scoring for Liverpool against Preston North End at the weekend, Darwin Nunez's future remains in the balance. It probably makes sense for the Uruguayan to move on and get regular game time, but he won't be going anywhere on the cheap.
"Nunez continues to wait for Napoli, but he can’t wait forever, despite other significant offers," Fabrizio Romano said on his YouTube channel.
"Everyone is waiting for Napoli to make a decision regarding the striker and figure out which path they will take. Darwin Nunez has important opportunities in Saudi Arabia, so it's clear he can’t wait forever for Napoli."
Darwin Nunez paid tribute to Diogo Jota with his celebrations after scoring for Liverpool against Preston
Darwin Nunez paid tribute to Diogo Jota with his celebrations after scoring for Liverpool against Preston (Image: Getty Images)
Last week, it was suggested that Napoli would move away from a potential deal because it was getting too expensive.
That was according to Sky Italia. It said that AC Milan and Atalanta have both shown an interest in Lecce forward Lorenzo Lucca and so Napoli feels forced into making a decision.
With Liverpool wanting a big fee for Nunez, one deal will be much harder to agree than the other. Napoli, though, does feel like the right kind of move for the 26-year-old to make.
Liverpool.com says: Nunez could go to Italy or Spain and suddenly score loads of goals. It doesn't feel like it's going to click into gear for him at Anfield, but there is a very good player there to be unlocked by someone.