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Christopher Nkunku of Chelsea and Darwin Nunez of Liverpool(Image: Getty Images)

Darwin Nunez faces an uncertain future at Liverpool after failing to nail down a starting place under Arne Slot.

The Uruguayan has only started once in the Premier League in 2025, and has scored just five goals in the English top-flight this season.

Starting 17 of his 42 appearances, he has scored seven goals in all competitions and is reportedly attracting interest from the likes of AC Milan and Atletico Madrid, as well as from Saudi Arabia.



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Meanwhile, he came in for public criticism from Slot back in February following his performances off the bench against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Aston Villa as the Dutchman questioned his work-rate.

READ MORE:Liverpool let 'greatest goalscorer' slip through their fingers after daily training ground rowsREAD MORE:Darwin Nunez 'always a problem' as Liverpool accused of 'personal' issue with striker

Following such an admission from his head coach, Nunez took to social media to send a defiant message to his critics, writing: “I wasn't the best three weeks ago, and I'm not the worst now.

“If I fall, I'll get back up.

Scoring 25 goals from 90 Premier League appearances, he has also missed 53 big chances.

The 25-year-old was not the only striker Liverpool were considering three years ago, with Alexander Isak also on the club’s radar at the time prior to his £63m switch from Real Sociedad to Newcastle United.

With the Sweden international emerging as the standout number nine in the Premier League this season, scoring 24 goals in all competitions, the Reds continue to be linked with the forward, who will reportedly cost £150m, as they weigh up possible replacements for Nunez.

However, even when firing 25 goals for the Magpies last season, there was not particularly vocal regret for Liverpool not previously signing Isak, given he had also battled injury at St.

James’ Park.

It is only this season as he goes from strength to strength that the Reds’ previous interest has been documented more.

Instead, while Jurgen Klopp favoured a move for Nunez in the summer of 2022 and ultimately won out, having been mesmerised by the Uruguayan’s performances for Benfica against the Reds in the Champions League, Liverpool’s recruitment team instead favoured a move for Christopher Nkunku, then of RB Leipzig.

The France international would instead stay put with the Bundesliga outfit for a further season, scoring 23 goals from 36 appearances, before joining Chelsea in a £52m deal.

Yet as tough as Nunez has found the Premier League at times, Nkunku has found it even harder at Stamford Bridge.

The 27-year-old was limited to just 14 appearances in his first season with Chelsea because of injury, while he has found himself behind Nicholas Jackson in the pecking order this year despite his return to fitness.

While he has made 53 appearances for the Londoners to date, scoring 17 goals, he has started only 11 times in the Premier League and scored only six goals from 37 English top-flight outings.

His most recent start came against Brentford on Sunday, only for the Frenchman to be withdrawn at half-time in favour of Jackson as Chelsea fought out a disappointing 0-0 draw.

While he was linked with a Stamford Bridge exit in January, with the likes of Bayern Munich and Manchester United mooted as possible destinations, he has ultimately seen out the season at Chelsea.

But it would be no surprise if he left the club this summer too, with Chelsea legend Frank Lebouef insisting his compatriot has no future at Stamford Bridge.

“Christopher Nkunku has no future at Chelsea,” Leboeuf told BetVictor.

Sometimes, transfers just don’t work out.

Nunez and Nkunku aren’t the first players to not live up to expectations at Liverpool and Chelsea and they won’t be the last.

Given such misfires have been rare by the Reds in recent years, even more is made of the Uruguayan’s struggles.

Yet Nunez can still depart as a Premier League champion, and has had a more telling impact for Liverpool than the Reds' former transfer target for Chelsea.

As was the case when missing out on Timo Werner to Chelsea in 2020, when it comes to Nkunku, Liverpool perhaps have had a lucky escape - though who is to say whether either forward would have fared more successfully at Anfield.

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With Isak also under consideration at the time, only Klopp and the Reds' recruitment team will have an exact idea of how events unfolded in the summer of 2022 for Nunez to end up as the signing of choice.

But rather than look back with regrets and wonder what might have been, all Liverpool can do now is look forward and learn from their mistakes.
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