Manchester United may have identified Darwin Nuñez as their key attacking transfer target this summer but the Uruguayan would prefer to ply his trade elsewhere next season. The 22-year-old would rather link up with Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool in the coming weeks than Erik Ten Hag in Manchester, according to reports.
The prolific youngster has caught the attention of Europe’s elite this season, bagging 32 goals across 38 games in the Champions League and Primeira Liga. 1 of those goals was scored against Liverpool at Anfield, as he gave the Liverpool defence all sorts of problems in a 3-3 draw.
Virgil Van Dijk recently noted Nuñez is one of the most difficult opponents he has faced in his career. If the striker’s desires are to come to fruition, he will be lining up alongside the Dutch centre-half at Liverpool next season.
Advert
Nuñez fits the profile of player Klopp will be looking for to replace the likely departing Sadio Mané this summer. The Benfica man is able to operate through the middle of an attacking three and on the left, just as Mané has done over the course of his six seasons at Anfield.
However, Nuñez’s price tag could deter Liverpool. The Independent report the striker could cost willing buyers up to £100 million this summer. With Liverpool needing to strengthen their midfield as well as attack in the coming weeks, they might not be open to diverting such hefty capital towards their pursuit of the young forward.
The same applies to Manchester United. Erik Ten Hag has a plethora of areas within his squad to address this transfer window and to spend a large portion of his summer budget on one player would not be wise. The striker has also been tentatively linked with Arsenal who are in need of a new striker themselves.
The young attacker’'s talent is vivid but with Liverpool linked to numerous forwards such as Serge Gnabry, Ousmane Dembele, and Arnaut Danjuma, he may not see his dream of moving to Merseyside come true this summer. A move to England for the 22-year-old looks likely, where he’ll eventually end up isn’t yet clear.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Liverpool Transfer News & Rumours, Liverpool, Transfers