Darwin Nunez has been told his time is up at Liverpool this summer with the striker proving he’s not of the standards required at Anfield and with one observer suggesting Arne Slot uses the Uruguayan as a bargaining chip in a blockbuster swap deal.
Big things were expected of Nunez when he joined the Reds from Benfica in summer 2022 for a fee that would eventually top £85m – a club-record deal for Liverpool. Now in his third season on Merseyside, the 25-year-old’s career has stagnated this season and he has fallen down the pecking order under Slot.
Indeed, the 33-times capped Uruguay star has cut a frustrated figure this season, often having to make do with appearances off the substitutes bench and with Liverpool favouring either Diogo Jota or Luis Diaz to lead the forward line.
As a result, speculation has ramped up that Nunez will be allowed to leave this summer, with trusted sources James Pearce and Fabrizio Romano both making clear that the striker – who has 40 goals in 136 appearances for the Reds – is expected to move on.
That’s a scenario another former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore can also see playing out, with Nunez failing to cut the mustard on Merseyside and with the player branded ‘robotic’.
“Darwin Nunez arrived at Liverpool as a very confident player, and now he looks too robotic – and that is probably because of the pressure that he is under at Anfield, which is a complete kettle of fish compared to what he experienced at Benfica,” Collymore told Caught Offside.
“He just does not look confident, composed or relaxed, even if his goal output is not as bad as many people make it out to be. The longer that this pressure remains, the harder it will become for him, and it has already started to affect his decision-making on the pitch, and especially in front of goal.
“Nunez has definitely been affected by his Liverpool experience, and I think that he should leave – simply put, he is not up to the standards needed at Liverpool, which can be very unforgiving.”
Asked who Liverpool should target as an upgrade, the controversial pundit had no hestitation in naming Alexander Isak as his top choice, even suggesting a swap deal could be beneficial for all parties.
IN-DEPTH 🔴 NINE strikers on Liverpool radar Arne Slot could turn to as Darwin Nunez upgrade
Nunez glad to escape Liverpool drama
Explaining his logic over a possible swap between Isak and Nunez, Collymore continued: “Isak would be a massive upgrade on Nunez. His all-round play is what Liverpool need in a striker, and in my opinion, I think it could benefit Newcastle to take Nunez.
“There is certainly a player in there, but he is not someone that can handle player for a club like Liverpool that brings so much scrutiny and pressure. He would be a really good fit at Newcastle, and their supporters would love him.”
Nunez has certainly struggled this season. In 40 appearances this season, he has only managed seven goals; comfortably his worst single-season tally since arriving on Merseyside.
And amid speculation that his time at Anfield is drawing down, the striker admitted earlier this week that he is glad to escape his struggles and be afforded a different focus with his national side.
They suffered a 1-0 home defeat to reigning world champions Argentina in a World Cup qualifier on Friday, and next face Bolivia on Tuesday evening in El Alto.
“I’m happy thinking about the national team, enjoying every minute with it,” he told Uruguayan outlet El Pais. “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.”
Liverpool transfer latest: ‘Perfect’ Van Dijk heir touted; Ornstein on Salah
Meanwhile, the Reds have been told to hijack Barcelona’s planned deal to sign Jonathan Tah this summer, after a Bundesliga expert explained the difficulties the Reds face in trying to convince a top Borussia Dortmund star to move to Anfield as a possible replacement for Virgil van Dijk.
Liverpool are growing ever more optimistic that Mo Salah will agree a new deal at Anfield with trusted journalist David Ornstein dismissing speculation that the Reds’ recent cup disappointments will force the player to reconsider his future andwith a compromise contract agreement close to being reached.
News that Salah will stick around will potentially allow Slot to revitalise his frontline for next season and amid growing speculation that both Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz could be allowed to depart.
Our transfer insider Fraser Fletcher revealed earlier this week thatJota has already emerged as a target for one of his former clubs – and with the Reds also making clear their asking price for the player to leave.
Now it has emerged that the Reds are reluctant to hand the Portuguese a new contract due to a frustrating weakness, withArsenal understood to be looking into signing the player as part of a potential double deal.
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.