Barcelona learns Liverpool's asking price for Darwin Nunez
Reports indicate Barcelona is interested in signing Darwin Nunez, a striker for Liverpool. Nunez seemed to remove any references to the Premier League team from his Instagram, which sparked the controversy.
According to reports, he has restricted who may comment on his Instagram postings and disabled certain fan accounts on Twitter in reaction to online bullying. The topic of his future became widely discussed as a result.
Additionally, when on a day off from training this week, he was seen in Barcelona. The timing is adding fuel to the flames of speculation since the summer transfer window is quickly approaching.
Meanwhile, Jorge Mendes, the player’s agent, is now reportedly trying to get a deal done. Rumor has it that the Portuguese, who is well-known for his connections in the soccer industry, would love to help facilitate Nunez’s transfer away from Liverpool.
Mendes wants Barcelona to bring out the best in the underperforming star, according to Mas Que Pelotas. “Mendes wants him to leave Liverpool. He’s a player he thinks of very highly and has other aspirations for him”, says the report.
This support from the 58-year-old is allegedly a calculated move to put Nunez in a position where he will have a better chance of reaching his full potential.
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How much does Liverpool want for Nunez?
The report further claims that the Reds have established a minimum asking price for any interested teams. Thus, they would be willing to sell the striker if there’s a need for it.
Liverpool seem to be holding their own in negotiations, notwithstanding the circulating talk. Rumor has it that they have valued Nunez at a minimum of $92 million, establishing a hard benchmark for any possible deal.
“Nunez’s value has risen in recent years, and Liverpool will not sell him for less than €85m”, the report adds. This price tag shows that the English side value Nunez’s contributions. As a result, they think they will get a good return if they sell the Uruguayan star.
The Blaugrana, who are short on funds, think they can pay that cost if they can trade their star players this summer. La Liga has reduced Barcelona’s wage ceiling to a little over $218 million. It will thus force the club to sell higher-paid players to continue with their planned reconstruction.
Next season, Lewandowski’s earnings will soar to $34 million, making him the highest earner—and probably the one to go. While Nunez is one of Liverpool’s highest-paid players, he is only a fourth as much as the Polish attacker, putting him in Barcelona’s price range.
What did Klopp say?
The 24-year-old’s future at Anfield has been questioned as he has slumped and lost his starting position. Klopp is expected to step over as manager this summer, adding to the speculation.
The Reds coach acknowledged that Nunez isn’t playing too well right now. In addition, the German has admitted that the striker is unhappy.
“There is no speculation,” said Klopp. “It must be an external speculation because I don’t know about it, but maybe, I’m not involved in it anymore. There is no speculation right now. It is just the situation we are in.
“Yes, Darwin was definitely not happy missing that chance. He is, let me say was because that could have changed now, unlucky in so many situations where he is doing everything right and then the ball still doesn’t go in.”
Photo: IMAGO / Propaganda Photo