‘Florian Wirtz to Liverpool prediction spells bad news for Darwin Nunez’
Darwin Nunez is facing an increasingly uncertain future at Liverpool with the impending arrival of Florian Wirtz.
Wirtz is expected to join the Reds imminently from Bayer Leverkusen in a deal worth over £100million.
Arne Slot is getting his transfer business done early having already secured the signing of Wirtz’s Leverkusen teammate Jeremie Frimpong for £29.5m last month (BBC Sport).
Signing Wirtz will add even more attacking flair to Liverpool’s forward line, but his arrival could mean the end for Nunez on Merseyside.
Slot braced for Nunez departure
Nunez managed just five goals in 30 appearances for Liverpool in the Premier League last season, and the Uruguayan striker may now be surplus to requirements with the impending arrival of Wirtz.
BBC Sport writer Phil McNulty (17 June) said the German’s flexibility to play anywhere across the front three makes him a useful asset for the Reds next season.
| Appearances | Goals | Games |
| 45 | 15 | 16 |
McNulty believes the 22-year-old will play as a false nine and look to drop deep and create from dangerous attacking positions.
That could mean, in a World Cup season too, Nunez decides to leave the Premier League champions for regular playing time elsewhere.
The 25-year-old was regularly a substitute last season and would find it difficult again to get back into Slot’s starting XI ahead of players like Mo Salah and Cody Gakpo.
Football Insider revealed that Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal and Spanish giants Atletico Madrid are two possible destinations for the striker should he wish to leave.
Liverpool getting stronger ahead of title defence
Football Insider verdict
Nunez joined Liverpool in 2022 having scored 34 goals in 41 appearances for Benfica the season previously.
In his three seasons in the Premier League, Nunez’s best goalscoring season was 11 in the 2023/24 campaign.
Wirtz scored 10 goals and grabbed 13 assists in the Bundesliga last season, cementing his position as one of Europe’s hottest prospects.
The exciting addition of a young Wirtz to a team that cruised to the league title means Nunez would struggle for playing time at Anfield and it only makes sense that the Uruguayan finds himself a new club.
Slot is assembling a forward line that will be difficult to stop next season and he is also looking at strengthening his defence too with Milos Kerkez another likely addition to the squad soon, with rumours Andy Robinson could leave Liverpool.
There has been no time wasting in the transfer market on Merseyside and already the Reds look like a team that will be challenging for the major honours again next season.