Liverpool have received a formal bid of £43 million for forward Darwin Núñez, as speculation continues to swirl around his future at Anfield.
Serie A champions Napoli have now submitted an offer to the Reds according to a report from Gianluca Di Marzio. The bid of €50 million plus €5 million in add-ons comes after weeks of speculation and ‘personal intervention’ from president Aurelio De Laurentiis.
Antonio Conte’s side has identified the Uruguayan as their top attacking target after triumphing domestically last season, with Udinese forward Lorenzo Lucca an alternative option. While Liverpool initially set a €60 million asking price, Napoli are pushing hard to negotiate the fee down to less than half the fee Liverpool paid Benfica for the Núñez back in 2022.
Núñez is eager to stay in a top European league and has ‘green lit’ the move, deeming Napoli’s Champions League project under Conte appealing compared to other offers.
The 26-year-old endured a tough first season under Arne Slot, starting just eight of Liverpool’s Premier League matches and scoring seven goals with four assists across 47 appearances in all competitions. Once viewed as a potential mainstay up front, Núñez’s future at Anfield now appears uncertain, with the club keen to recoup a significant portion of the fee they initially spent.
The club view a sale as not only an opportunity to trim the wage bill, but also to reinvest in the continued summer rebuild. If completed the deal would mark one of the most high-profile departures of Liverpool’s summer alongside the exit of Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Napoli, meanwhile, are racing to finalise the deal and it appears the ball is now firmly in Liverpool’s court.
