Arne Slot’s decision on whether to keep Darwin Nunez at Liverpool this summer now appears straightforward. Slot’s side will wrap up the Premier League title on Sunday if they beat Tottenham at Anfield, cementing a memorable first year in charge for the Dutchman.
Furthermore, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk have committed their futures to the club after prolonged speculation. The boss has cited their new deals as crucial to the club building next season as they bid to again compete domestically and in the Champions League. However, the prospect of Nunez being part of it looks increasingly unlikely.
The Uruguayan forward has struggled to make an impact under Slot. He’s scored just seven times in 42 club games this season and was criticised by him in February for what the manager deemed a poor work rate.
Liverpool are now being linked with a big-money move for Eintracht Frankfurt forward Hugo Ekitike. According to CaughtOffside, the 22-year-old, who has been compared to former club fan favourite Roberto Firmino, will be available for around £72million.
The Frenchman joined Frankfurt from PSG in 2022, initially on loan before making the deal permanent a year later. He’s since scored 25 goals in 49 appearances, with 21 of those strikes coming this season.
He’s contracted to the Bundesliga club until 2029, meaning they are under no pressure to sell in a cut-price deal. Liverpool will almost certainly have to sell to help fund any bid, with Nunez the most likely candidate to depart.
The 25-year-old came close to an exit in January, having been the subject of reported interest from Saudi Arabia. Slot’s thoughts on the former Benfica man were again made clear on Sunday during the 1-0 win at Leicester.
Despite the visitors chasing a winner until Trent Alexander-Arnold struck late on, Nunez was an unused substitute. He also missed a penalty in the shootout defeat to PSG last month, and his lack of finishing ability has come under fire from critics.
