CONTRACT EXTENSION Darwin Nunez has agreed a five year contract and will earn €6m per year at Liverpool. (Approx £98.6k per week)

Darwin Nunez has agreed a five year contract and will earn €6m per year at Liverpool. (Approx £98.6k per week)

Liverpool are expected to approve the sale of Darwin Nunez to Saudi Arabia in the summer, and TEAMtalk can confirm the Reds’ interest in a record-breaking deal for Alexander Isak is genuine.

Nunez, 25, continues to excite and frustrate in equal measure at Anfield. There is never a dull moment as far as Nunez is concerned, though the Uruguayan continues to struggle to bring others into play, with the offside trap and with his finishing.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has selected both Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz ahead of Nunez in the striker position this term.

And per Fabrizio Romano, Liverpool came ‘very close’ to selling Nunez to Saudi side Al-Nassr in January.

Liverpool ultimately pulled the plug on the deal despite all parties – including Nunez – being willing to seal the switch.

The fact Liverpool were still in four competitions at the time was cited as one reason why. Another reason since revealed by Romano was none of Liverpool’s summer targets were available to sign in January.

As such, and given Liverpool would have lost a player without landing a replacement in the same window, the Reds resigned a mid-season sale to the scrapheap.

But according to a fresh update from Romano when speaking on his YouTube channel, the expectation is Nunez will move to the Saudi Pro League at the second time of asking in the summer.

“The expectation in the industry of those close to all parties involved in this story is that from Saudi they can return for Darwin Nunez,” declared Romano.

“Let’s see also if something will happen with European clubs maybe interested. But from Saudi they remain keen on Darwin Nunez and so I think Darwin has concrete chances to leave Liverpool in the summer transfer window.

I told you last week and today I can confirm – there is this feeling that it’s a concrete possibility for Darwin to go and for Liverpool to change something up front.”

Al-Nassr went on to sign Jhon Duran from Aston Villa after missing out on Nunez. That won’t prevent a different Saudi side from signing Nunez, however, with Al-Hilal another club keen on landing the frontman.

Liverpool

As Romano mentioned, it’s a concrete possibility Liverpool sign a new starting striker at season’s end.

Newcastle ace, Alexander Isak, continues to be linked with Arsenal who themselves are seeking a clinical new forward.

Newcastle are understandably dead set against selling, though it has been claimed their backs will be against the wall and the pressure to sell will increase if missing out on Champions League qualification.

Our insider, Fraser Fletcher, brought news of Liverpool planning a historic summer window that is shaping up to be the biggest in the club’s history.

Liverpool have actually made a profit on transfers over the last two windows and the club are well-placed to launch an all-out assault in the summer.

Isak is a wanted man at Anfield and Newcastle’s £150m valuation is eye-watering, though by itself isn’t putting Liverpool off the Sweden international. The absolute minimum Newcastle would consider a sale at is £120m.

A sale even at that lower number would break the Premier League’s transfer record with regards to arrivals. The current record-holder is Moises Caicedo by way of his £115m switch from Brighton to Chelsea.

We understand Isak would be open to joining Liverpool if Newcastle don’t qualify for the UCL.

Latest Liverpool news – Mo Salah contract…

In other news, CaughtOffside claim Mohamed Salah definitely wants to sign a new contract at Anfield.

Accordingly, Salah’s agent, Ramy Abbas Issa, has ‘intensified’ negotiations with Liverpool in the hopes of ironing out an agreement.

The full story – including the simple demand Liverpool have been handed by Salah’s camp – can be found here.