Darwin Nunez is open to joining La Liga gianst Atletico Madrid as Liverpool explore their options in selling the 25-year-old this summer.
Nunez has unfortunately been a failed experiment at Liverpool with this seven goals and seven assists not good enough for a player that the club paid £85m to sign.
His game time has been slashed under Arne Slot with the Dutch coach making it pretty clear how he views Nunez and where he fits into his plans going forward.
Earlier this week, reports suggested that Nunez and Napoli have been in touch and could work out a deal together. The striker is supposedly due to give the Italians a decision this week but now it seems as though his future lies in Madrid.
Atletico Madrid considering signing Darwin Nunez – He wants to make the move to Spain
At this rate, Nunez and Trent Alexander-Arnold will face off in the Madrid derby next season, with Cadena SER reporting that the Uruguayan has told Atleti he wants to join them.
“They’ve already spoken with the Uruguayan striker,” and Miguel Martín Talavera say that within the club “it’s clear that the player would be delighted to join Atlético de Madrid.”
Madrid have already held talks with Nunez and they reportedly confirm that “everything has been discussed with the player,” and that “the player’s approval to join Atlético Madrid is also on the table.”
All that remains are negotiations with Liverpool and FSG over what fee they will ask for.
How much should Liverpool sell for after signing him for £85m three years ago?
In June 2022, Liverpool paid an initial upfront fee of £64m that, if all bonuses were triggered, would rise to £85m, according to Sky Sports.
According to Cadena SER, Liverpool “aren’t going to give him away” and will still demand a big fee even if it’s obvious they will not come close to receiving £85m for him.
Beyond that, the report says little about how much Liverpool could recoup from his sale.
If Liverpool’s plans to sign a new striker are directly linked to sell Nunez, the club must take their time to find the perfect buyer.
Then again, they could also investigate whether Diego Simeone would want Nunez as part of a deal to sign the incredible Julian Alvarez.
It is the longest of long shots but Alvarez is worth making the enquiry.