Napoli are reportedly interested in Liverpool duo Darwin Núñez and Federico Chiesa this summer, and the Reds are open to selling both attackers.
After winning the Premier League in his first season in charge of the Merseyside club, manager Arne Slot appears to be ready to revamp his team’s attacking line-up.
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Bayer Leverkusen striker Florian Wirtz is expected to complete a move to Anfield in the near future, while the club are also keen on signing a striker.
However, the availability of a striker could depend on the club’s ability to raise money, especially since Wirtz’s transfer could reach a sum of £116 million if bonuses are activated.
Italian newspaper La Repubblica claim that Napoli are planning to sign Núñez and Chiesa, and head coach Antonio Conte is reportedly particularly interested in signing Núñez.
Have Núñez and Chiesa been failures?
Núñez and Chiesa often found themselves on the bench last year, where they together only started nine games in the top division.
The former is still the club’s record purchase after joining from Benfica in the summer of 2022 for a sum that could rise to £85 million, while the latter was brought to Anfield in the summer of 2024 for around £10 million.
Chiesa was always seen as a reserve striker, so while it’s hard to call his time in England a success, it would be unfair to say that he has been a failure as he wasn’t expected to play his way into the starting line-up.
As for Núñez, the Uruguayan has scored just 25 goals in 95 Premier League appearances, and it’s hard to argue that he’s been a successful signing since he’s been demoted to a squad player.
Liverpool’s Federico Chiesa photographed 25 September 2024
What’s next for Liverpool’s attacking line?
Reds have been linked with a move for Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike, but his current club are reportedly demanding £85m to release him from Germany.
If the sale of Núñez and Chiesa were to materialize, perhaps Liverpool could afford to complete a deal and beat competitors like Chelsea for the Frenchman.
However, it can be risky to spend so much on a 22-year-old who has only once scored more than 10 goals in a single league season, so the champions need to be absolutely sure that he has the right profile to start in attack before approving a transfer.
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