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As Liverpool celebrates its Premier League triumph under first-year manager Arne Slot, one storyline has been quietly developing in the background – Darwin Nunez’s increasingly inevitable summer departure from Anfield.

What started as whispers earlier in the season has evolved into what many consider one of football’s worst kept secrets, with multiple reports now confirming the Uruguayan striker is headed for the exit door.

Liverpool’s club-record £85 million signing from Benfica in 2022 has struggled to live up to his hefty price tag, particularly this season under new manager Arne Slot.

The Uruguayan international has been relegated to a supporting role, making just eight Premier League starts while coming off the bench 21 times.

His return of five goals and three assists in 29 league appearances represents a disappointing output for a player acquired for such a substantial fee.

On January 18, Al-Nassr made a verbal approach to Liverpool for the Uruguayan striker, but the offer was swiftly turned down.

With Liverpool still fighting on four fronts, the club was unwilling to entertain a mid-season sale of Nunez, leading Al-Nassr to redirect their attention to Colombian forward Jhon Duran.

Currently, all four Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) clubs – Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr, Al-Ittihad, and Al-Ahli – are reportedly monitoring Nunez as a potential option should they seek to bolster their attacking ranks.

But this week, fresh reports from Spain have now asserted that Atletico Madrid are very keen on Nunez – with the player himself also interested in making the switch.

Cadena SER reported the news on Wednesday, claiming that Nunez already had preliminary talks with the Madrid club.

Now Mundo Deportivo backed up that claim on Thursday and reports that talks are advanced enough that Nunez has started making arrangements for a potential move to Madrid if negotiations progress.

The Spanish club is exploring a deal structured as a loan with a mandatory purchase clause, though Liverpool are aiming to recover a large portion of their initial investment—a difficult task given the Uruguayan’s current market value.

Angel Correa is set to leave unless circumstances change dramatically, and Antoine Griezmann has lost his starting spot to Alexander Sørloth, who, despite his numbers, is not considered indispensable.

Only Julian Alvarez is viewed as untouchable according to the report, meaning Nunez will improve Diego Simeone’s time with that logic.

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