Liverpool 'were very close' to agreeing deal to sell Darwin Nunez in January - but three reasons caused the club to change their mind

Liverpool rejected two bids for Darwin Nunez in January, with Al-Nassr offering the Reds in excess of £62million for the Uruguayan to join Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia, according to a report. The Saudi outfit were thought to be in deep negotiations with Nunez and were confident in getting the move over the line if Liverpool were willing to let him go. Before getting their hands on Jhon Duran, Al-Nassr wanted to bring Nunez to the kingdom, but Liverpool were reluctant to sell the out-of-form striker.

The deal's stumbling block was not its financial package, as Al-Nassr's second bid was close to the Liverpool's valuation of Nunez. Instead, Liverpool were concerned that they would not be able to find an attacking replacement before the window closed, according to Fabrizio Romano. And if they did, they would likely have to overpay, since the deal would be happening in January and therefore be seen as more urgent.

Liverpool rejected two bids from Al-Nassr for Darwin Nunez, the second in excess of £62m. Before signing Jhon Duran, Al-Nassr wanted to pair Nunez with Cristiano Ronaldo up front. However, Liverpool did not let Nunez go because they did not have a replacement lined up. In their bid to win an unprecedented three trophies in Arne Slot's first season on Merseyside, the Reds still see Nunez as an important piece in the Dutchman's current plans, which is another reason why they were hesitant to let him go.

However, the club are willing to reassess their No 9's future in the summer. Liverpool splashed out £85m on Nunez to snap him up from Benfica in 2022 but he has struggled since his arrival. The frontman has scored 24 goals in 83 appearances since landing in England. In his two full seasons at Liverpool, he has ranked in the top three for big chances missed in the Premier League, with 21 in 2022-23 and 27 the year after.

This season, he has netted just six goals and registered four assists in his 29 appearances across all competitions. Despite the speculation around Nunez's future, and the widespread criticism of his performances, Slot insisted that the 25-year-old's work-rate brings value to his table-topping side. 'For me, he has impact,' said Slot last month. The 25-year-old has scored 24 goals in 83 appearances since joining from Benfica for £85m.

Arne Slot insisted that Nunez still brings value to his side, through his impressive work-rate. 'If you only look at goals, he hasn't scored the amount of goals that he wants to score, or we want a number nine to score, but he does have impact in his work-rate. He's part of a team that scores a lot of goals and is winning a lot. 'Of course, as a number nine you want to score more goals and that's definitely what he wants as well.