January 29th 2025.
Darwin Nunez has been making headlines for his performances with Liverpool. Despite being approached for a potential January transfer deal, the club has made it clear that they have no intention of selling him before the transfer deadline. Nunez has had a bit of a rollercoaster ride during his three years at Anfield, following his high-profile move from Benfica. The club paid a hefty initial fee of £64m for the Uruguayan forward, with add-ons potentially bringing the total cost up to £85m, making him the most expensive signing in the club's history. With such a massive investment, there were high expectations for Nunez, but he has only managed to score four goals in the Premier League this season for a Liverpool team currently sitting at the top of the table.
It seems that manager Arne Slot has preferred other options up front, as Nunez has only started in less than a third of the club's league games. Recently, Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher suggested that the club should consider selling Nunez, but it seems that they have no plans of letting him go. According to The Athletic, Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr showed interest in signing Nunez during the January transfer window, but Liverpool immediately rejected the offer as they believe he will play a crucial role in the team's title chase in the second half of the season.
However, this does not necessarily mean that Nunez has a long-term future at Anfield. The club expects there to be plenty of interest in the 25-year-old at the end of the season and are not ruling out a potential sale in the summer. Nunez had gone through a bit of a dry spell, only managing to score one goal since November, before coming through with two crucial goals in injury time against Brentford earlier this month. Just a few days before that, club legend Robbie Fowler had described Nunez as "not a Liverpool player".
"We're saying the same things now as we were two or three years ago," Fowler 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, but you're not signing a player just because he works hard. That should be a given. You have to come here and score goals. At the moment, he's not performing at the level we expect from a Liverpool player."
Carragher also shared his doubts about Nunez and admitted that he would consider selling the forward if a suitable offer came in before the transfer deadline. "The conundrum is that 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. "If you're sure that the bid will still be there in the summer, then you probably keep him this January. But if you're not sure if the money will still be there in the summer...it's a lot of money. I would take the risk and sell him. Under Jurgen Klopp, he was okay, but it wasn't great. The style of play suited him, using his pace and taking lots of shots. But now, under Arne Slot, it's a bit more slow and measured, and he's just standing there, which is not ideal for him."
Meanwhile, Al-Nassr has been actively looking to sign a new striker to strengthen their attacking options. They had shown interest in Nunez, but it seems that they are now turning their attention to other options like Bayer Leverkusen's Victor Boniface or Aston Villa's Jhon Duran, who has also been linked with top Premier League clubs. Liverpool, who are currently six points clear at the top of the Premier League, will be facing PSV in their final Champions League group stage match on Wednesday night. Slot has decided to leave some of his key players in England, as the team has already secured a spot in the top two and only needs a point to top the standings.
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