Darwin Nunez exit: Liverpool stance emerges after big-money sale resisted
Darwin Nunez is expected to leave Liverpool this summer after a disappointing stint with the Merseyside club.
The Uruguay international joined the Reds for an initial £64million, with the fee rising to a potential £85million with add-ons in the summer of 2022.
However, the 25-year-old has failed to nail down a regular place at Anfield, scoring 40 goals in 138 appearances.
Liverpool opted against selling Nunez in January, and now his former club Benfica have concerns regarding the deal that took him to the North West.
Liverpool not omitting Nunez for financial reasons
As mentioned, there is a significant chunk of add-ons included in the Nunez deal, with some of that yet to be paid.
While the exact breakdown of the fees has not been confirmed, it has been suggested that the Portuguese club could miss out on €5million should the forward not play again this season, according to A Bola.
The Portuguese outlet claims that Benfica would receive the add-on should the Uruguayan reach 60 Premier League and Champions League starts combined.
With Nunez currently on 59 starts, his former club could be set to miss out on that figure, but the Liverpool Echo understands that is not intentional.
The newspaper reported (22 April) that Liverpool’s stance is that he is not being omitted for financial reasons, having rejected big-money advances from Saudi Arabia in January.
At the time, the Reds were still competing on four fronts and as such wanted to keep Nunez at the club.
Liverpool must cash in on Nunez
After three years, it is time for Liverpool to draw a line under Nunez’s time at the club and move him on to pastures new.
While the striker has had his moments in England, he has been unable to progress at the expected rate since his move from across Europe.
During his early days with the Reds, he was often labelled as a ‘raw’ talent due to his pace and erratic finishing but not much has changed.
After Arne Slot’s arrival, the 25-year-old was given a fresh slate, but this campaign has been his poorest in front of goal.
This season, Nunez has only managed seven goals in all competitions, with five of those coming in the Premier League.
| Darwin Nunez’s goal contributions for Liverpool, by competition | Competition |
| Premier League | 5 |
| Champions League | 1 |
| EFL Cup | 1 |
It must be noted that the forward has only started eight of his 25 appearances, which suggests Slot does not fancy him as his number nine.
Considering how much Liverpool paid for Nunez, it is unlikely they will recoup the entire fee paid for him, but they could demand a big fee should Saudi clubs declare interest.
Moving forward, the Reds are expected to sign a new striker this summer and will want to use any money generated from the Uruguayan to aid their cause.