Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez insists he will not give up trying to salvage his future at Anfield amid claims by Fabrizio Romano that the Reds plan to sell him this summer and six sides all having been linked with moves to Uruguayan.
The Uruguay star is the Merseyside club’s record signing having moved to Liverpool for an initial £64m but with bonuses and add-ons in the deal taking his transfer from Benfica through the £85m (€100m, $110m) mark. And while Nunez was a big favourite under the manager who signed him, Jurgen Klopp, he has fallen down the pecking order this season under the German’s successor, Arne Slot.
Indeed, with Nunez seemingly struggling to get to grips with the Dutchman’s tactical demands from his centre forward, the Liverpool boss has tended to opt for either winger Luis Diaz or forward Diogo Jota to lead the line.
And amid speculation that the Reds are setting money aside to bring in a more prolific No.9 this summer – all of Alexander Isak, Victor Osimhen and Julian Alvarez have been linked in recent days – Nunez has come clean on his struggles this season and having sent out a message of defiance over his future.
With Nunez back in South America for World Cup qualifiers against Argentina and Bolivia, Nunez told Uruguayan outlet El Pais he is relieved to have some time away from Liverpool.
“I’m happy thinking about the national team, enjoying every minute with it,” he said. “These are moments that you go through in football, and as I said recently, I’m not someone who throws in the towel because they don’t play. Rather, I’m going to keep working so I can play.
“I know I’m not performing as well as I should. It’s difficult because when you’re doing well, like when I came on against PSG, your confidence changes, with the idea of being able to break it in the next match,” he added, referencing an assist for Harvey Elliott’s first leg winner.
“But then you get a slump, and I’m always there to help my teammates and come back to the national team. I’m strong in my head since my family always supports me, and that’s the important thing to keep working and bring joy to everyone.”
IN-DEPTH 🔴 NINE strikers on Liverpool radar Arne Slot could turn to as Darwin Nunez upgrade
Romano discusses Nunez future as Liverpool prepare for big summer
Despite Nunez’s willingness to fight for his future, the striker is highly likely to move on this summer as Slot looks to put his stamp on the Liverpool squad.
To that end, the Reds could not only allow Nunez to leave, but one of Luis Diaz or Diogo Jota are also potential departees this summer. Sources have revealed that Arsenal are keeping a close eye on Diaz’s situation and are considering the Colombian as a possible target this summer and with the Reds’ stance coming to light.
Earlier this week, Fabrizio Romano provided an update on Liverpool’s transfer plans via his YouTube channel, honing in on both Diaz and Nunez.
“In the summer we expect Liverpool to be really busy,”began the trusted reporter. “There are several positions to cover, at left-back they love Milos Kerkez (Bournemouth) who is on their list, they’re expected to bring in a new centre-back. let’s see what happens in the midfield.
“But also up front, my expectation is for Darwin Nunez to leave the club in the summer transfer window. He was close to [joining] Al-Nassr in January… let’s see with Saudi Arabia or any other European club, but I expect Darwin Nunez to go.
“And also for Luis Diaz, there is a concrete possibility to leave Liverpool. At the moment it’s not guaranteed, but it’s a concrete possibility.
“There were some clubs from Saudi interested in Luis Diaz and he decided to continue with Liverpool one year ago.
“Summer 2024 there was [also] interest from Manchester City. A deal didn’t happen but the interest was genuine. Now let’s see what happens because Barcelona are looking for a winger and Luis Diaz is appreciated by some people internally at the club.”
Romano also insists Saudi interest in the Colombian remains strong and concluded by stating: “Let’s say that my expectation today is for Darwin to go and for Diaz to have concrete possibilities to leave Liverpool.”
Liverpool transfer latest: Marquee €300m swoop; Van Dijk truths revealed
Meanwhile, Slot is planning to radically shake up his squad this summer with the captures of three world-class signings on his radar, as per reports in Spain. Deals for the three world-class stars will reportedly set the Reds back a combined €300m (£252m) if all three land at Anfield.
In addition to Nunez and Diaz, speculation has also been raised over the future of Diogo Jota, with the Portuguese also having struggled for goals this season.
To that end, our transfer specialist Fraser Fletcher has revealed that Jota is a target for one of his former clubs this summer – and with Liverpool’s stance on his sale also coming to light.
There, of course, also remains ongoing doubts over the future of Mo Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk, amid growing claims all three could depart.
To that end, Robbie Fowler has shared his fears about what is to come at Anfield amid claims the trio are now pushing to depart.
On the subject of Van Dijk and amid strong claims that the skipper will commit the ultimate ‘betrayal’ and sign for PSG, one French journalist has responded to the speculation and revealed the truths over the reports.
Where next for Darwin Nunez? The six clubs linked with the £85m Uruguayan
BySamuel Bannister
Atletico Madrid – Nunez made his first steps in European football in Spain, but only in the second tier with Almeria. Now, he could get the chance to play in LaLiga after Atletico Madrid made him an option. Iconic head coach Diego Simeone could add another South American striker to his squad by signing Nunez, one year after getting Julian Alvarez from Manchester City. Intriguingly, Alvarez has been named as someone Liverpool admire, though there’s no suggestion yet of a swap deal. Besides, Atleti are preparing for Antoine Griezmann to depart in the summer, so that could be the void for them to fill with a move for Nunez.
Saudi Pro League – In January, there was a genuine attempt to take Nunez to the Saudi Pro League – and it’s believed he would have held some kind of interest in going there. If European suitors aren’t fully convinced by Nunez, moving to the Middle East could be a viable solution still for the summer. It will still have to be decided which club he would be assigned to in Saudi Arabia. Al-Nassr, for example, signed Jhon Duran from Aston Villa instead of Nunez, so now have less of a need. Al-Hilal also made a move for Nunez in January, so maybe ones to watch.
Arsenal – This would be a surprising choice, but Arsenal need a centre-forward and there have been some rumours of Nunez being a contender. Neither Gabriel Jesus nor Kai Havertz are fully convincing at centre-forward for the Gunners. A move to Arsenal would give Nunez a lifeline in the Premier League, although the reports haven’t yet come from strong sources. And anyway, it’s a guaranteed upgrade Arsenal need after struggling to catch Liverpool in the title race this season; there’s little evidence to suggest Nunez would represent that.
Newcastle United – Virtually every top club would like to sign Alexander Isak from Newcastle, who are going to play hardball in an attempt to keep the Sweden striker but might have to prepare themselves with a list of some replacements. Nunez might not feature too prominently on that list, but Liverpool have been tipped to put him on offer as a makeweight in their own move for Isak. While Newcastle would prefer not to sell Isak at all – and would want a huge cash sum if they have to – the proposition might give them something to think about.
AC Milan – There were some rumours in January that AC Milan could offer Nunez a new challenge in Italy, but TEAMtalk learned they were unlikely to sanction a move of that kind of value. They opted to sign Santiago Gimenez from Feyenoord instead, but are expected to send Tammy Abraham back to Roma in the summer after his loan spell, so there has been a revival of striker links for the Serie A side and Nunez has been brought up again – although once again, only time will tell how serious that speculation is.