Regarding rumors that Darwin Nunez is leaving Liverpool, Arne Slot has declined to comment. In January, Saudi Pro League clubs were said to be interested in the striker.
Al-Nassr reportedly had discussions about a potential move for the Uruguayan, but after learning that Nunez was not available for a transfer, they turned their focus to acquiring Jhon Duran from Aston Villa for £64 million. In the meantime, it has been reported that AC Milan is considering making a summer move for the forward.
Nunez’s future at Anfield is still up in the air because the forward hasn’t been able to secure a starting position since Slot took over as head coach.
The striker, who has struggled in front of goal and only scored six goals this season, came under fire for missing a close-range open goal during Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with Aston Villa in the middle of the week.
Slot criticized the forward’s response after the wasted opportunity, but defended him for the miss. Following the criticism, Nunez used social media to send an emotional and defiant message to his detractors.
On Thursday, the Reds’ head coach said he planned to talk to Nunez about his actions against Aston Villa.
The Dutchman acknowledged that he expects to see a different response from the Uruguayan in the future, even though he declined to speculate about the player’s future prior to Sunday’s trip to Man City.
When questioned about transfer interest in Nunez, he responded, “We don’t talk about these things in public.” He is the same player who defeated Brentford with two crucial goals.
“The life of a number nine is similar to that of a defender or goalkeeper. You make mistakes, but the benefit of being a number nine is that you are more likely to be a hero.
“Once in a while, you miss an opportunity that everyone talks about. That is not an issue for me, but his reaction should have been a little better afterwards.
“He was devastated because he understood the significance of that miss. He is a human being, but we must learn to improve, and I hope he will behave differently the next time.”
The Gulf State is reportedly interested in players like Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk before their contracts expire at the end of the current campaign, so Nunez is not the only Liverpool player who has been linked to a move to the Saudi Pro League.
Saudi Arabia has also expressed interest in goalie Alisson Becker, although the Brazilian previously acknowledged that he had turned down such advances last summer.
Such an admission from his best goalie caught Slot off guard. Despite his insistence that Alisson will be his first choice when available during the current campaign, the Dutchman acknowledges that it is too soon to predict how the Reds will manage their goalkeeping unit next season after Giorgi Mamardashvili joined from Valencia.
“Did you speak with Alisson about Saudi interests?” He said. “I didn’t realize there was interest. Maybe he said he just wanted to stay?
“What the next season brings, we’ll see. We bought a goalkeeper and loaned him out, so next season we’ll have Alisson, Caoimhin (Kelleher), Vitezslav Jaros, and Giorgi Mamardashvili.
“Four very good keepers.” They will be under contract, and we will see how things work out. At the moment, our entire focus is on City.”