Darwin Nunez Gives Green Light to Liverpool Departure as Club Sets Crucial Transfer Price
With Darwin Núñez's exit from Liverpool appearing imminent, the Premier League titleholders are allegedly seeking to reclaim a significant portion of their initial investment in the striker.
Núñez arrived at Liverpool in 2022 amid considerable anticipation. The forward penned a five-year contract valued at up to £85 million ($115.6 million), establishing a new club transfer record at that time.
However, in the subsequent years, the Uruguayan international struggled to justify his hefty price tag. Núñez managed only 25 league strikes across three campaigns wearing the red jersey, and recently featured in merely eight Premier League starting lineups under manager Arne Slot.
It had become clear that Núñez would be leaving Liverpool after his disappointing 2024–25 season performance. The 25-year-old attracted attention from Saudi Pro League clubs, though reports suggest he prefers a move to Serie A titleholders Napoli.
Fabrizio Romano disclosed that Núñez has provided "his initial green light" to Napoli. The ex-Benfica attacker is considering the transfer after being "presented [Antonio Conte's] project."
The prospective Italian move hinges on the financial arrangements of the transfer. Liverpool allegedly "want to get back as much as possible" from their original investment in Núñez and are anticipated to demand an asking price exceeding €50 million (£43 million/$57.6 million).
Securing such a substantial fee for Núñez would assist the Reds in recovering financially from a costly summer transfer window that saw Liverpool acquire Jeremie Frimpong, Ármin Pécsi and Florian Wirtz. Wirtz's transfer alone has already cost the English club €117.5 million (£100.1 million, $136.1 million) with additional performance-related bonuses worth €18.8 million (£16 million, $21.8 million).
The Premier League winners are also anticipated to complete the signing of Milos Kerkez from Bournemouth in a transaction valued at £40 million ($54 million).
Therefore, it's evident that Liverpool will attempt to maximize their return on Núñez should the striker proceed with his transfer to Napoli.