Liverpool could enjoy a busy summer of recruitment in the upcoming transfer window, but there might also be some significant departures from Anfield.
We already know that Trent Alexander-Arnold will be leaving at the end of his contract, and other prominent members of this season’s Premier League-winning squad continue to covet attention from elsewhere.
One of those who’s reliably expected to follow our vice-captain out the door in the coming months is Darwin Nunez, who’s endured a difficult campaign in which he’s found the net just seven times in 44 appearances.
Liverpool willing to entertain offers for Nunez
According to CaughtOffside, Liverpool could be prepared to cash in on the Uruguay international this summer amid reported interest from Al-Hilal of the Saudi Pro League, along with Newcastle and Atletico Madrid.
Anfield chiefs value the striker at €80m (£68m), but the report claims that the Merseysiders’ asking price may need to be lowered in order for the aforementioned trio of prospective suitors to commence any formal negotiations.
It’s also mentioned that Al-Hilal are interested in Luis Diaz, but Arne Slot is hugely reluctant to sell the Colombian forward.
Liverpool shouldn’t sell Nunez for less than what they think he’s worth
With reports linking the Premier League champions with a potential summer raid on RB Leipzig for Benjamin Sesko – rumours of a swoop for Alexander Isak had also been doing the rounds but he’s likely to be too expensive – it very much seems as though Arne Slot is on the lookout for a new centre-forward for next season.
Guillem Balague claimed little more than a year ago that Nunez was ‘becoming a world-class player’ (BBC Euro Leagues podcast), but if anything the Uruguayan has regressed in the meantime rather than kicking on to smooth out the rough edges to the game.
The 25-year-old can’t be faulted for his attitude on the pitch, but unfortunately his goal return in this campaign hasn’t been up to standard, and a baffling miss in the defeat to Chelsea last Sunday summed up his enigmatic nature in the penalty area.
Liverpool seem confident of recouping the initial £64m that they paid Benfica for him in 2022, and they shouldn’t feel any compulsion to sell him for less than what they deem him to be worth, even if it leads to prospective suitors walking away from a deal.
If the Reds are to part with Nunez this summer, we’d like to think that they’ll get fair value for him and that they’d then reinvest that cash in an elite centre-forward who could hopefully fire us to a second successive Premier League title.
