Uruguayan international Darwin Nunez has not been able to gain the trust of head coach Arne Slot. Last season he was involved in a number of goals, with 18 goals and 13 assists in 54 games, but this season, after 40 games, his figures have dropped to seven goals and seven assists.
Diogo Jotta and Luis Diaz are better suited to the role the Dutch coach is looking for. The type of player Jurgen Klopp prefers, a striker who is stretched up front and features at the back, has struggled to adapt to his current role, which requires him to be flexible in his movements.
The 25-year-old forward received an offer from Saudi Arabia this winter, and interest from Italy and Spain was also rumoured. GIVEMESPORT’s Ben Jacobs reported that Atletico Madrid are looking to acquire him on a loan transfer with a purchase obligation of €35-40 million.
The Madrid club are willing to sell French international Antoine Griezmann, who is under contract until June 2026, and have listed the Liverpool attacker as a replacement, pending his performance on the pitch and contractual status.
Atletico Madrid, who play a passionate, all-out football, pulled together by coach Diego Simeone, are an attractive option for a player like Darwin Nunez, who can fight with a high level of passion and excel at counter-attacking.
His decision-making rate in front of goal is an area for improvement, but not many strikers are capable of scoring ten-figure goals every season and in the top flight. If the veteran French attacker were to leave the team, he has the ability to fill the void, albeit of a different type.
Potential rivals are Al Nasr, who made an offer in the winter, and AC Milan, who have been rumoured to be interested. From a financial point of view, Milan are the most disadvantaged and it should be Al Nasr or Atletico who can pay a somewhat higher fee.
If the proposal they are said to be considering is a loan transfer with all salaries for one season covered, with conditions that would be valid regardless of the outcome, it would not be a bad price tag.
However, Liverpool’s senior management are very serious about the sale price every time. There is a good chance that negotiations could stall over the amount of the purchase obligation, but if you weigh up the risk of having a player whose future at Anfield is in doubt, the answer is likely to come naturally.
However, no concrete action has yet been taken and no contact has even been made with the club. Liverpool are likely to make a big move this summer and could well decide to let go of the Uruguayan forward.
What kind of forward line will Reds field next season?