Darwin Núñez could play in LaLiga… but not at FC Barcelona

The chances of Darwin Núñez leaving Anfield Road once the current season ends are considerably high. Arne Slot has not found a place for him in his system and hopes to let him go to make room for a couple of reinforcements that fit his scheme. A situation that could be exploited by FC Barcelona, who are keeping an eye on the Uruguayan.

And the elimination of Liverpool from the UEFA Champions League seemed to be the definitive sentence for the charrúa with the 'reds'. The forward missed the second penalty in the shootout against PSG, having come on for Diogo Jota in the second half. The penalty saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma was yet another failure in a season to forget for the Uruguayan, who, despite having a contract until 2028, knows he will not count on the coach next season.

In this sense, various rumors point to Spotify Camp Nou as a possible destination for the South American 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 and his main goal would be to join Hansi Flick's ranks, even lowering his salary if necessary to facilitate his arrival in the Catalan city.

Atlético de Madrid is after Núñez

However, Atlético de Madrid presents itself as one of the main competitors to Barça in the race for Núñez. The mattress club is preparing for the likely departure of Antoine Griezmann at the end of the season, with all signs pointing to the Frenchman heading to MLS, which is why the sports management has started looking for a partner for Julián Álvarez in the attack.

In this sense, journalist Ben Jacobs has reported that from the offices of Riyadh Air Metropolitano they are already moving pieces to secure the incorporation of Darwin to 'Cholo' Simeone's squad on loan. The player could land in the capital through a loan with an obligatory purchase option between 35 and 40 million euros, although nothing concrete has been established with Liverpool yet.

Atlético 'threatens' Barça's summer

Similarly, the rojiblancos are also closely following Viktor Gyökeres, another of Barça's targets in the search for a replacement for Robert Lewandowski in the forward position. Atleti has already made initial contacts with the Swedish player's entourage to inform them of their intentions, and they are clear that Simeone's project is on the rise, making it an interesting option for the scorer.

Thus, everything indicates that the mattress makers will be major rivals for the culés in the transfer market. The blaugranas would prioritize operations for figures like Luis Díaz or Alexander Isak, but they are also keeping an eye on the two forwards mentioned earlier, although if they do not act soon, they could miss out on both options due to the growing, and very tough, competition.