Liverpool “never” had any intention of letting Darwin Nunez leave the club this summer, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
The journalist has rubbished claims from Spain that the Reds wanted to “swap” the Uruguayan international for Joao Felix, before the ex-Chelsea loanee joined Barcelona:
“Despite rumours about a swap deal for Joao Felix being discussed, Liverpool never wanted Darwin Nunez to leave this summer.”
“It was very clear on club side, the board and also the manager decided to keep Darwin in very clear way. Darwin was very happy with Liverpool considering him untouchable.”
Nunez didn’t start the first three games of the season, with Cody Gakpo leading the line but, after scoring a brace in the 2-1 win over Newcastle from the bench, he was named in the eleven for the 3-0 victory against Aston Villa at the weekend. It seems clear that the striker is very much in manager Jurgen Klopp’s plans.
Felix had also been suggested as a replacement for Salah
This is not the first time that Felix has been linked with a switch to Anfield in recent weeks, with reports indicating that the Portuguese forward would be considered, along with Federico Chiesa, if Mo Salah left Anfield for Al-Ittihad.
As mentioned, Felix has subsequently secured himself a move to Barca. It is, however, a temporary switch with no option to buy.
Nunez still needs to prove that he can be trusted to lead the line for Liverpool
Despite clearly still having the trust of his manager, it is telling that Nunez has not always been a regular starter since his £85m move from Benfica last year.
There is a feeling that the 24-year-old still has a lot to learn both in terms of his individual development and his understanding of how the team operates in general. We shall see if he becomes a more integral player over the coming weeks.
