Barcelona is showing interest in Darwin Nunez while Liverpool is not keen on keeping the striker.

After a brief period of flourishing earlier this year, the Uruguayan forward has reverted to his familiar disappointing form since he joined Anfield in the summer of 2022. The former Benfica striker has only managed to score 2 goals and provide 1 assist in his last 10 Premier League appearances.

He has also started just one of Liverpool’s last four matches. This is reminiscent of the end of last season, where Nunez scored only once in his final 10 Premier League appearances and was benched for six of those games.

As a result, there is growing credibility to recent rumors that the Uruguayan international may be sold to Barcelona in this summer’s transfer window. The Catalan giants are in desperate need of a young striker to replace Robert Lewandowski, and Nunez is a very promising candidate.

With coach Jurgen Klopp set to leave Anfield at the end of this season, the future of Liverpool’s £80 million signing remains uncertain, especially since it was the German strategist who had personally requested the club to acquire the forward born in 1999.

The Uruguayan striker often misses opportunities.

So what are the pros and cons of selling Darwin Nunez this summer to Barca?

1. Liverpool will lose a decent striker

Typically, if a player’s actual number of goals is lower than their expected goals (xG), people will assume that their finishing ability is problematic. Notably, the former Benfica star’s effectiveness has indeed been lacking. He has scored 11 goals in the Premier League this season, with an xG of 15.32.

However, merely discussing his goal-scoring isn’t sufficient. Darwin Nunez contributes much more than that. He has the ability to play wide and is often required to drift to the wings or drop deeper to apply pressure according to Klopp’s tactics.

In terms of direct involvement in a goal per game (including both expected goals and expected assists), Nunez averages 0.95 per game. This statistic is significantly higher than Mohamed Salah’s 0.85 or Diogo Jota’s 0.68 and is on par with Erling Haaland of Manchester City.

Can Nunez fill the gap left by Lewandowski?

Thus, if they sell this 24-year-old forward, Anfield will undoubtedly lose a player capable of making significant contributions to the club’s attack in the upcoming season. This is especially important as Liverpool will be competing on multiple fronts next season, including the Champions League.

2. Have money to upgrade the squad

Since the contract between the two parties is still long, the Merseyside Reds will only sell Darwin Nunez if the buying club, specifically Barcelona, offers a substantial amount. If this deal materializes, it will remind Liverpool fans of the Phillipe Coutinho situation in the past.

Back in January 2018, the Brazilian player was the top star at Anfield but insisted on moving to Nou Camp. Despite their reluctance, Liverpool eventually accepted an offer of £146 million. Fortunately, they managed to utilize this financial boost effectively, upgrading their squad and subsequently winning the Champions League in 2019 and the Premier League in 2020.