Liverpool are reportedly willing to sell Darwin Nunez for a fraction of the price they bought him for. Reds CEO Michael Edwards is believed to have been scouring the market for the Uruguayan’s replacement, and three attacking targets have moved to the top of his summer hit list.
Nunez is approaching the end of the worst of his three seasons at Liverpool, with only seven goals to show for his 43 appearances in all competitions. After being handed only eight starts in the Premier League this term, it has been made clear to Nunez that his chances of first-team football would improve away from Anfield.
According to AS, the 25-year-old has already been informed that his time on Merseyside is almost up. The report adds that Liverpool are willing to let him go on loan with a mandatory purchase clause, providing they can recoup a minimum of £34million.
That figure pales in comparison to the £85m package they agreed with Benfica nearly three years ago. The final sum is likely to be slightly smaller, as not all of Nunez’s add-ons were triggered, but Liverpool would still take a painful financial hit even if their new price tag is met.
Atletico Madrid have emerged as serious contenders for his signature, with bosses in the Spanish capital adamant they can revive Nunez’s career. Nottingham Forest are also expected to make a push if they qualify for the Champions League.
Liverpool will wade into the market for a centre-forward if Nunez departs this summer. Transfer guru Edwards is said to have surveyed the available options before landing on Alexander Isak, Joao Pedro and Benjamin Sesko as his prime targets.
Isak has scored 22 Premier League goals for Newcastle United this season, following on from the 21 he managed last term. Pedro has established himself as a talented scorer and creator at Brighton. And Sesko is an exciting Bundesliga talent with 20 goals for RB Leipzig this campaign.
Nunez has not started a Liverpool game since scoring in the 3-1 win over Southampton in early March. And there are rumours, which Slot denies, that the Reds would be forced to pay a £4.3m add-on if he starts one more match.
“Sometimes it is better not to believe everything that is written,” said Slot. “It’s completely new to me. The last, last, last, last thing [sporting director Richard Hughes] would do, having worked with him for 10 months, is tell me, ‘if you play him, it would cost us this much’. He would never do that. He never interferes with the line-up.”
Content Source: www.express.co.uk