Liverpool FC had two notable absentees in their 4-2 loss to AC Milan yesterday. Both are wantaway forwards who might soon get their wish. Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez missed out on the preseason exhibition defeat, because they are currently focused on sorting out their club futures for next season. In the case of the former, manager Arne Slot confirmed this.
When Slot was quizzed by a reporter as to why Díaz didn’t feature against Milan in the Far East, he was frank about it, saying it was “due to speculation on his future.”
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Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez Exiting the Club?
According to multiple reports, an agreement has been reached with Bayern Munich, for the sale of Diaz, on a transfer fee of €75 million ($88 million).
Once Florian Wirtz was signed, the writing was kind of on the wall for Diaz to exit. The same goes for Nunez, once Hugo Ekitike was brought in. Nunez was considered a misfit even before that, but now the attacking position group is even more crowded.
So where does he go?
Well, right now, nothing is close to being sorted out, but there are reports of interest from Saudi Arabian club Al Ahli.
The Saudi Pro League side is potentially looking at Nunez as a replacement for Roberto Firmino, a man who is nothing short of a Liverpool legend.
There are no major new injury concerns for Slot at the moment, so these two transfer narratives are the only team news items headed into this one.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter