1 week ago
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AC Milan has reportedly reached out to Darwin Nunez's representatives, eyeing a potential deal for the Liverpool forward. The Italian heavyweights have reportedly made the Uruguayan international their prime target in the closing weeks of the transfer window.
Nunez's departure from Anfield has been widely anticipated this summer, and the recent arrivals of Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz seem to have pushed him further down Arne Slot's list of preferences. Liverpool also maintains an interest in Newcastle star Alexander Isak, having had a bid rejected for the Premier League striker.
Should the Reds succeed in securing the Swedish player, Nunez's position would likely become even more precarious. However, so far, Liverpool has not managed to strike a deal with any potential buyers for the ex-Benfica forward.
Napoli shifted its focus after failing to reach an agreement with Liverpool's management. Antonio Conte instead brought in Lorenze Lucca on loan from Udinese, with a compulsory purchase clause for the forward.
However, another Serie A side might still provide Liverpool with a chance to offload Nunez. Milan is understood to be making a concerted effort to bolster Max Allegri's attacking options, with Arnaud Kalimuendo, Dusan Vlahovic and Rasmus Hojlund also on the shortlist alongside Darwin, according to Sky Sports in Italy.
The Reds forward was absent from his team's friendly against Milan but made a substitute appearance in the subsequent match against Yokohama FM.
Nunez also found the back of the net in the squad's initial two summer friendlies, scoring against both Preston and Stoke City.
Slot seemed more focused on boosting the striker's fitness levels than preparing for his potential exit.
"In Darwin's situation, he has trained really well and played a few good games for us already this pre-season," Slot commented last week. "He was injured so we didn't want to take the risk.
"It was also the same with Wata (Endo) - trained with us all week but we didn't want to take a risk with him either. It is part of pre-season, the boys need to get towards match fitness and that is a thin balance, a thin line sometimes."
Anticipation is building for a new bid from Saudi Arabia, with Al-Hilal reportedly initiating discussions with the player and his agents about a transfer. However, the only formal offer for Nunez during this summer has come from Napoli.
Nunez is likely to be involved when Liverpool takes on Athletic Bilbao on Monday before focus shifts to the Community Shield against Crystal Palace next weekend.
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