Liverpool blocked from Darwin Nunez sale after reaching Hugo Ekitike transfer agreement

Napoli's acquisition of Lorenzo Lucca from Udinese appears to have shut the door on a potential move for Liverpool's Darwin Nunez, who had been linked with the Serie A champions. The Italian side confirmed on Friday that they had secured the services of the 25-year-old striker, initially on loan but with an obligation to buy.

Antonio Conte had been seeking additional attacking prowess but has decided against pursuing Nunez. Opting for Lucca was a more cost-effective choice for Napoli, who are also looking to bolster other areas of their squad. This leaves Nunez, who became Liverpool's record signing when he joined in 2022, facing an uncertain summer.

Despite featuring and scoring in a recent pre-season victory at Preston, his departure from Anfield after three years seems likely. Liverpool have been actively seeking a new forward and are currently in discussions with Frankfurt over the potential £80million signing of Hugo Ekitike as Arne Slot looks to add more firepower.

It became clear last season that Slot wasn't entirely convinced by Nunez, whose inconsistent finishing hasn't justified his hefty transfer fee. A move to Napoli now seems off the table.

Liverpool are facing the prospect of a financial loss on their investment in the player they acquired from Benfica, having turned down an offer from a Saudi Arabian club in January. Despite the player's openness to relocating to the Middle East, securing a sale has become a difficult task months later.

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Nunez, with an impressive tally of 40 goals over three seasons, has attracted attention from Spanish and Italian clubs. Atletico Madrid have shown interest, although their well-stocked attack might deter them from investing in the Uruguayan sensation.

AC Milan is another possible suitor, yet financial constraints could hinder their ability to secure his services.

Slot didn't mince words when criticising Nunez's performance last season following a draw at Aston Villa, where the striker squandered a prime opportunity to clinch victory for Liverpool.

The head coach said: "I helped him by saying you can miss a chance. I wasn't only hard on him. But for the second time in a row I wasn't happy with his work effort, against Wolves and against Villa.

"I can't accept if a player doesn't give everything. That is clear. I can accept it once, but twice was a bit too much. That's why I addressed it.

"If you miss a chance, you need to be fighting for the team. I'm not saying he didn't do that at all, but it wasn't the usual Darwin, the one that is loved by the fans. That is mainly because he always works so hard."