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Still wanting to pursue pastures new heading into the summer, this time he was not left disappointed.

His departure will leave Arne Slot with four senior forwards to call upon in Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo, summer signing Hugo Ekitike and Federico Chiesa.

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But in truth, Chiesa could also join Nunez in leaving the club.

Liverpool still boast versatile players who can provide additional depth in Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Curtis Jones, Dominik Szoboszlai and - if he too doesn’t move on - Harvey Elliott.

Beyond their quintet, Rio Ngumoha is now being considered as a genuine first-team option, while Ben Doak can bolster the numbers further if he is still a Reds player when the transfer window comes to an end.

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But considering Slot partly signed Chiesa to boast six senior forwards last summer - all internationals with two specialists in each position - it is no surprise that Liverpool will not be entirely satisfied with what they already have at their disposal.

As the door closes on Nunez’s Reds career, another one opens for a would-be replacement.

Liverpool will explore the market for an additional attacking player, but only if key criteria is met.

Their interest in Alexander Isak is well-documented, with the Swede even previously of interest when they ultimately opted to sign Nunez back in the summer of 2022.

The wantaway striker has made it clear to Newcastle United that he wishes to move on, with Liverpool his desired destination.

It has now been a week since the Reds made their first official move for the 25-year-old, with the Magpies rejecting an £110m offer last Friday.

It was understood that club bosses considered it futile to return with an improved offer, given the swiftness and clarity of Newcastle’s rejection.

But with Nunez moving on and Liverpool now openly pursuing a new forward, it would not be a massive stretch to assume that, on this occasion, two plus two equals four.

As one of the best strikers in Europe, Isak would clearly be of sufficient quality to start.

Newcastle’s initial asking price of £150m would evidently not be a price Liverpool would be willing to play.

The Magpies have insisted they want to retain Isak’s services throughout the summer, but actions speak louder than words.

They are still pursuing new attacking options of their own, while the striker was made to train alone on Wednesday as Eddie Howe’s squad reported back to training following their pre-season tour of the Far East.

The Daily Mail reports he will not feature in either of the club’s Sela Cup fixtures against Espanyol and Atletico Madrid on Friday and Saturday.

While Howe could still attempt to bring Isak in from the cold, his head has been turned with the writing seemingly on the wall when it comes to the likelihood of a Newcastle exit.

Should the Magpies insist he stays put, he would not be realistically attainable.

While they are currently navigating dirty waters, an almost inevitable destination is emerging on the horizon.

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But they will have not sanctioned Nunez’s exit unless they were confident they could source a replacement.

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Having already submitted one bid for Isak, he is the obvious object of their desires.

And while a transfer to Liverpool might not yet be a foregone conclusion by any means for Isak, with Nunez now leaving the club, the pieces are at least slowly falling into place.


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