Latest Liverpool transfer news and rumor, as ties to Victor Gyokeres raise questions about Darwin Nunez’s future at Anfield.
Another day, another Liverpool transfer rumour, and this time it appears to have an impact on the present group at Anfield. The Reds have yet to announce their first signing of the summer transfer season, but speculation about potential deals continues.
Liverpool’s new head coach, Arne Slot, is now appraising his players during pre-season training in the United States. Decisions on fresh acquisitions will be made in the future, and one speculation claims that a striker may be on his way to Liverpool.
According to Football Insider, Sporting Lisbon’s Victor Gyokeres is a target for Liverpool. According to the source, the Reds are currently monitoring the striker, who has an £86 million release clause, with Arsenal, Chelsea, and Tottenham Hotspur also reportedly interested.
Gyokeres scored 43 goals for Sporting last season, so it’s no wonder that he’s been linked with a lucrative move this summer. It’s strange, however, that Liverpool should be featured in this rumour mill.
Liverpool already has Darwin Nunez, Cody Gakpo, and Diogo Jota as centre forward options. While Gakpo and Jota can play on the left wing when necessary, Nunez excels in the middle as a No. 9.
The signing of Gyokeres, who is also a centre-forward, would raise questions about Nunez’s future at Liverpool. There has been some tentative conjecture regarding Nunez in recent months, but there have been no firm reports of clubs interested in signing the Uruguay international.
Liverpool has agreed to pay Benfica £64.1 million to sign Nunez in 2022, with add-ons potentially raising the figure to £85.5 million. Nunez is under contract at Anfield until 2028, so there is no concern that the Reds will be unable to obtain a fair value for the player if he leaves the club.
Arne Slot, Liverpool’s new head coach, has yet to work with Nunez. Nunez is still on vacation after representing Uruguay in the Copa America, and he will return to pre-season training in the coming weeks.
Given that Slot has yet to see what Nunez can accomplish with his own eyes in his own system, Liverpool are unlikely to let the striker move until a major offer is offered. Combine that with recent reports linking Gyokeres with a transfer to Anfield, and it is unlikely that the Reds will be looking to acquire a new striker.
Anything is possible as long as the transfer market is open, although Liverpool would prefer to keep outgoings to a minimum. In terms of incomings, it’s unclear what Slot and new sporting director Richard Hughes are working on behind the scenes.
