The Future of Darwin Núñez: A Bargain for FC Barcelona?

The elimination of Liverpool from the UEFA Champions League seemed to be the final verdict for Darwin Núñez with the 'reds'. The Uruguayan missed the second penalty in the shootout against Paris Saint-Germain (0-1, 1-4 p.), having come on for Diogo Jota in the second half. The save by Gianluigi Donnarumma was yet another failure in a forgettable season for the Uruguayan, who, despite having a contract until 2028, knows he will not be counted on next season by coach Arne Slot.

In this sense, the latest rumors point to FC Barcelona as a possible destination for the 'charrúa' forward next season. The 25-year-old player, aware of his situation within the club, has already expressed to his agent his desire to change scenery next summer, even willing to lower his salary if necessary to facilitate his arrival at a 'top' team. Barcelona would be an ideal bet for the '9', but practically impossible for now.

Jorge Mendes is working on Darwin Núñez's exit: Directly to Barça?

Although, for now, there is no rapprochement between the parties, Jorge Mendes will try to put Darwin's possible signing on the table in the coming weeks, once Barça closes the renewal of Lamine Yamal. Liverpool could even accept a loan to get rid of the forward if, by the end of July, no interesting offer comes in for the Uruguayan international.

Núñez has 40 goals and 24 assists in 135 matches with the 'reds', who paid 85 million euros to Benfica for his transfer in 2022. The case of the 25-year-old forward has been compared at Anfield to that of Andy Carroll, for whom the Merseyside club paid 41 'million' in the winter of 2011 (a high figure at that time) and ended up leaving for free in 2019 after multiple loans.

For Darwin, his third season in England has been the toughest, as he lost his starting position and, to make matters worse, was a key figure in the European elimination of the 'reds'. Although Barça is looking for a backup '9' for Robert Lewandowski, the one from Artigas does not seem to be a viable option, although his characteristics could fit very well into Hansi Flick's scheme. The forward showed his best form at Benfica (48 goals in 85 appearances), but has not been able to regain that version in England.