Liverpool plan Nunez sale to fund £126m club-record bid

Liverpool are reportedly preparing to offload Darwin Nunez this summer in order to fund a £126m club-record bid for Newcastle forward Alexander Isak.

Arne Slot is in search of a new centre-forward with Isak top of the club’s wish list. The Swedish striker has scored 50 goals in 77 league appearances since signing for Newcastle, becoming the seventh-fastest footballer to reach a half-century in the division.

Alexander Isak’s first touch for this goal 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/1EhXEiTp9T

— Premier League (@premierleague) January 28, 2025

Newcastle have no intention of selling the 25-year-old, though the Magpies could be forced into a sale should the club miss out on Champions League qualification. Isak is valued in excess of the British transfer record at St James’ Park.

Spanish outlet Fichajes are reporting that Liverpool are planning to sell Nunez to help fund a £126m offer for Isak. The former has underwhelmed since his arrival from Benfica for an initial £64m in 2022.

Nunez has scored 40 goals in 135 appearances across all competitions for the Reds, but has been criticised for a wastefulness around goal. The Uruguayan missed from the penalty spot during Liverpool’s shootout defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

Atletico Madrid are admirers of the player and are weighing up an offer for the 25-year-old. Nunez previously impressed in Spanish football’s second tier with Almeria, before joining Benfica. He was the Primeira Liga’s top scorer and Player of the Season during his final campaign in Portugal but has failed to replicate those heights on Merseyside.

Liverpool could overhaul their forward line in the summer window with doubts also surrounding the futures of Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah. The former has endured an injury-hit period with the Merseysiders, while Salah’s future is up in the air with his contract set to expire in the summer.