Whilst change is on the cards this summer, reports suggest that Liverpool could yet get an unexpected departure to hand Arne Slot a frustrating start to life at Anfield in the coming months.
Liverpool transfer news
For the first time in almost a decade, Jurgen Klopp won't be the man in the Anfield dugout at the start of next season as a legendary era comes to an end, making way for a new chapter under Slot. And with that new chapter will undoubtedly come new characters and new heroes at Anfield, as the pending new manager and Michael Edwards look to start with a bang.
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Reports have already linked the likes of Crysencio Summerville, Goncalo Inacio and Ousmane Diomande with moves in what could be an ideal way for Edwards to steal the headlines in the summer window. Inacio would be a particularly impressive signing, given that Manchester United and Newcastle United are also reportedly interested, and he's still just 22 years old.
It's not been all about incomings, however, with a new era also sparking doubts over the future of star players. Mohamed Salah has already been linked with a summer exit to Saudi Arabia in what is becoming a yearly trend, but it's Darwin Nunez who the Reds may need to worry about after recent updates.
According to Sport in Spain, Nunez has been offered to Barcelona by his agent, Jorge Mendes, to replace Robert Lewandowski should the La Liga giants be seeking one for their ageing forward. The speculation has only been fueled by the Urugyuan himself too after he deleted social media posts from the current Liverpool season, though Fabrizio Romano has since rubbished rumours that any social media behaviour is exit-related.
As the summer approaches, however, unexpected questions are the last thing that Liverpool need at the start of a new era, which means that deciding Nunez's future should be a priority sooner rather than later.
Next season is vital for "wonderful" talent Nunez
There's no doubt that Nunez has been much improved in his second season at Liverpool, but that's not to say the question marks over his consistent quality have gone away entirely amid his hefty £140,000-a-week wage. There have still been moments to forget, games that have passed him by all too easily, and moments that he has not stepped up to carry the responsibility of a top number nine.
In among that though, has been plenty of positives with 18 goals and 13 assists to his name. Whether it be his late double at Newcastle or his last-gasp winner at Nottingham Forest, Nunez has shown more than enough signs of life to suggest that a key player could yet emerge on a consistent enough basis when Slot arrives.
Klopp recognised that quality earlier this season, saying via the Irish Independent: "He had absolutely more than (an) OK first season but he had to adapt, that’s done, and he is settled in the middle of the team.
“Wonderful guy, wonderful boy. He loves to play for this team together with these boys and has quality coming out of his ears, to be honest. It’s like strikers are, they score and then they don’t score. Is he at his absolute peak in general? Not now for us. But can he develop? Yes. Is he a threat all the time? Yes."