Manchester United have been dealt a huge blow as the summer transfer window opens ahead of the 2021/22 season, with target Darwin Núñez agreeing a five-year contract with Premier League rivals Liverpool.
Officials at Old Trafford had been confident in landing the Uruguayan star following a battle with Liverpool for the player’s signature.
With United offering an increased proposal to Benfica just hours before, it had been reported by Pedro Sepulveda of SIC that Núñez himself had agreed terms with Liverpool.
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This will come as a sizeable shock to Manchester United, with the club requiring reinforcements in attack with Cristiano Ronaldo as the only recognised striker in the squad after Edinson Cavani's summer departure, along with ten other Reds.
The Portuguese legend scored 23 goals across all competitions last season, but is approaching 38 years of age and needs someone to challenge him for his spot, and rotate with.
It had been thought that the proposal made by United, that involved a higher fixed fee than Liverpool’s offer of £68m, would tip the balance in United’s favour in the Nunez saga as they attempt to improve on a poor 2021/22 campaign.
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However, the agreement of personal terms between Núñez and Liverpool greatly diminishes the prospect of the 22 year-old moving to Old Trafford, putting United out of the race for the forward.
This agreement ultimately signals the end of a saga which has consumed football media over the last two weeks.
While this represents a failure on the part of the United recruitment team, it does however allow focus to turn to other deals of similar significance.
United will hope that this news will soon overshadow progress in the transfer of Frenkie De Jong to the club, with United getting the green light from the player to agree terms with Barcelona. Their first offer was one in the region of £68m and is reported as being considered by Barca.
Manchester United are greatly in need of reinforcements at the top end of the pitch, with 57 goals in the last season making them only the eighth best scoring team in the division, a statistic which matches neither the size, nor the ambition of the club.
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With Jadon Sancho unable to reach his full potential in his first season and Cavani leaving the club, new attacking blood will be essential for Erik Ten Hag to fulfil his ambitions for the club in his debut season.
With Núñez now off the market, it will be hoped that alternative targets will emerge in the near future.
It is essential that a deal for such a pivotal player is completed early in the window, as Ten Hag will look to embed his system into his new players before the new season is upon us, in order for the team to hit the ground running.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Manchester United, Manchester United Transfer News & Rumours, Liverpool, Liverpool Transfer News & Rumours, Darwin Nunez, Benfica, Transfers, Football
