Darwin Nunez sends message to Man United’s Manuel Ugarte as Liverpool exit looms
Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez has sent a direct message to rival midfielder Manuel Ugarte after jetting away from Anfield.
The 25-year-old has struggled to thrive under Arne Slot’s leadership, starting just eight of the Reds’ 38 Premier League matches this season, but still managing 12 goal contributions across all competitions.
With the Uruguayan clearly out of favour on Merseyside, Football Insider understand that Nunez is set to depart Liverpool this summer, with La Liga or Saudi Arabia his likely destination.
A combination of Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo, Luis Diaz, and Diogo Jota normally make up the forward line for the Reds, though the latter two could also be set for exits in the coming weeks.
Nunez is now spending time apart from Anfield, with Uruguay looking to secure automatic qualification to the 2026 World Cup in America, Canada, and Mexico, and appears to be fraternising with the Man United enemy.
Darwin Nunez and Manuel Ugarte away with Uruguay
Taking to Instagram stories (4 June), Nunez reshared Ugarte’s story, alongside the caption: “It looks great on you,” with the pair called up to the Uruguay national team.
Marcelo Bielsa’s side are set to face Paraguay and Venezuela in World Cup qualification matches, and the two rivals could be on the same team after battling against each other in the Premier League.
Arne Slot in the process of Liverpool rebuild at Anfield
Football Insider verdict
Nunez is unlikely to be the only high-profile exit at Anfield this summer, with several of his teammates expected to depart ahead of the 2025/26 campaign kicking off.
Caoimhin Kelleher has already been announced at Brentford, signing on a five-year deal, with Kostas Tsimikas, Jarell Quansah, Harvey Elliot, Ben Doak, and Federico Chiesa possibly leaving.
Ian Darke told Liverpool News 247 (29 May) that Elliot would walk into multiple other starting lineups in the Premier League, despite making just two starts in the league this season.
Multiple big-money exits would certainly help Slot’s current plan financially, with Jeremie Frimpong already arriving at Anfield from Bayer Leverkusen.
Milos Kerkez could also join Liverpool as competition for a struggling Andy Robertson, and Florian Wirtz‘s transfer to Merseyside does not appear far from completion for over £110million.
After being knocked out of the Champions League and FA Cup at early stages, Slot is clearly serious about pushing for more at Anfield, much to the delight of the faithful supporters.