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According to reports, Napoli is pursuing Darwin Núñez from Liverpool, adding to the summer transfer controversy. According to Fabrizio Romano, direct talks between the teams have already been set for Tuesday, June 24, 2025, to determine the possibility of a deal. Uruguayan has also given the green light for the Serie A winners to take the deal forward. Nunez might leave one title-winning club for another this summer, as he is surplus to requirements at Liverpool and a top target for Napoli. At present, Napoli are the top contenders, and Liverpool are fine to go ahead with selling their No. 9 player.
Liverpool's Uruguayan striker, who cost around €85 million with add-ons when arriving from Benfica in 2022, has struggled to provide regular results. Last season, Núñez scored seven goals in 47 appearances and started only 17 games in all competitions. These disappointing results have pushed him toward the exit door, with Napoli seeing him as a viable replacement to enhance their attack.
Napoli’s €43M offer price can create difference in the transfer deal
Italian journalist Alfredo Pedullà, in an exclusive report for Football Italia, has stated that Darwin Núñez has “prioritised a move to Napoli” and also shed light on the potential transfer fee. According to Pedullà, Napoli are preparing an offer €43 million (£36.7m), even though Liverpool are seeking closer to €50 million (£42.6m). If these figures are accurate, both clubs could likely reach the negotiations. However, should Liverpool agree to a deal in that price range, it would mark a significant financial loss on the £85 million they spent to sign Núñez from Benfica in 2022—a then club-record fee.
This potential drop in value arguably reflects the striker’s underwhelming performance at Anfield, where he has managed 40 goals in 143 appearances—averaging a goal every 185.8 minutes—along with several frustrating misses and repeated offside calls. However, Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes is building a strong reputation in this transfer window, representing himself as a tough negotiator. This was evident in the agreement with Real Madrid, where he secured a deal worth up to £10 million to release Trent Alexander-Arnold a month early for the Club World Cup.
