Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez has a verbal agreement to sign for Atletico Madrid this summer, a report in Spain has claimed, with the 25-year-old’s time on Merseyside potentially coming to an end.
Nunez is Liverpool’s record signing having cost an initial $85 million (£64 million) to bring in from Benfica in 2022. But he has never really established himself in the team and has struggled for regular game time under Arne Slot.
This season, Nunez has scored just seven goals in 46 appearances in all competitions. With Diogo Jota struggling for consistency too, bringing in a new number nine seems like a priority for Liverpool in the upcoming market.
Nunez is likely to leave Merseyside after three years this summer to free up space for a new arrival. And Cadena SAR says the Uruguayan has “made it clear” that he wants to sign for Diego Simeone.
Napoli has also been linked with a move for Nunez, while it is thought that interest from Saudi Arabia remains too after clubs including Al Hilal made inquiries in January. Having fallen down the pecking order, an exit seems logical.
After he was absent for Liverpool’s win over West Ham United last month, Slot was forced to deny rumors that Nunez had had a falling out with a member of the Reds’ coaching staff.
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“He didn’t feel himself the day before the match,” the Liverpool boss said. “He went inside and he wasn’t able to be part of the team the day after.”
In February, Slot had criticized Nunez’s work rate in games with Wolves and Aston Villa. “I helped him by saying you can miss a chance [against Villa],” Slot said before facing Newcastle United.
“I wasn’t only hard on him. But for the second time in a row, I wasn’t happy with his work effort, against Wolves and against Villa.
“I can’t accept if a player doesn’t give everything. That is clear. I can accept it once but twice was a bit too much. That’s why I addressed it.
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“If you miss a chance, you need to be fighting for the team. I’m not saying he didn’t do that at all, but it wasn’t the usual Darwin, the one that is loved by the fans. That is mainly because he always works so hard.”
Liverpool.com says: Nunez’s career at Anfield appears to be petering out. He didn’t do much when he came off the bench at Brighton and was criminally offside against Arsenal when he came on in that game.
Nunez has lots of talent but it just hasn’t quite worked for him in England. If he goes somewhere else, he could start scoring regularly, but it doesn’t appear likely to be in the Premier League.
