Liverpool respond to surprise approach for £85m signing Darwin Nunez
Liverpool have ‘no intention’ of selling Darwin Nunez before the transfer deadline despite being approached over a surprise January deal.
Nunez has blown hot and cold during his three-year spell at Anfield following a big-money move from Benfica.
Liverpool paid an initial £64m to sign the Uruguayan forward but add-ons could take the overall price up to £85m – making him the club’s most expensive signing in history.
Given that huge sum of money, much more was expected of Nunez, who has only scored four goals in the Premier League this season for a Liverpool team sitting top of the table.
Arne Slot has favoured other options up top for Liverpool, starting Nunez in less than a third of the club’s league games.
Anfield legend Jamie Carragher recently suggested Liverpool should be looking to cash in on Nunez but they have ‘no intention’ of letting him leave, according to The Athletic.
It is claimed Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr expressed interest in signing Nunez during the January transfer window but were immediately knocked back by Liverpool, who believe he will play a crucial role in the second-half of the season for Slot’s title-chasing team.
That does not mean Nunez has a long-term future on Merseyside, however, as Liverpool expect there to be plenty of interest in the 25-year-old at the end of the season and are now ruling out a summer sale.
Nunez had scored just one goal since early November before he popped up with two in injury-time in Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Brentford earlier in the month.
A few days before that vital contribution Nunez was described as ‘not a Liverpool player’ by club legend Robbie Fowler.
Nunez has had a mixed spell at Anfield
‘We’re saying the same things now as we were two or three years ago,’ the former England striker said. ‘He’s raw, he’s this, he’s that.
‘You can’t keep saying that. For me, the more I see him the more I think he’s not a Liverpool player.
‘People might have a go at me for saying this because he works hard, you’re not signing a player because he works hard. That should be a prerequisite anyway.
‘You’ve got to come here and score goals. I know he’s a fan favourite for what he puts in, but at the time we’re talking now you’ve got to perform better and do better in that Liverpool shirt.’
Carragher also revealed his doubts over Nunez and admitted he would be tempted to sell the forward if a suitable offer arrived before the transfer deadline.
‘The conundrum is Liverpool have [Diogo] Jota as another option up front but he’s very injury-prone so you could leave yourself a bit short,’ Carragher said.
Al-Nassr expect to sign a new striker this week
‘If you’re sure that bid is still going to be there in the summer you probably keep him [in January] but if you’re not sure that money will still be there this summer… it’s a lot of money.
‘I would take the risk of selling him. Under Jurgen Klopp he was alright, it wasn’t great but it was okay because of that mad football, he would use his pace and have loads of shots.
‘It’s a bit more slow and measured [under Arne Slot] and he’s almost just standing there, it’s not ideal for him.’
Al-Nassr looked into signing Nunez as they look to bolster the club’s attacking options.
They are now expected to sign Bayer Leverkusen’s Victor Boniface or Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran, who has been linked with the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and West Ham.
Liverpool, who have moved six points clear at the top of the Premier League, conclude the Champions League group phase on Wednesday night against PSV.
Slot has opted to leave several of his first-team stars in England as Liverpool are already guaranteed a place in the top two and need just a point to top the standings.
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