Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has reportedly expressed a shock interest in signing Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez, who is expected to be given the boot by Anfield chiefs this summer.
The Uruguay international has shown flashes of quality without ever hitting a consistent streak of goalscoring on Merseyside, and he is expected to be left out of Arne Slot's starting XI for Sunday's EFL Cup final with Newcastle United.
Nunez has not had a disastrous season, managing a respectable seven goals and seven assists in 39 appearances for the Reds, including one strike and one helper in the 3-1 Premier League success over Southampton last weekend.
However, the 25-year-old has also been lambasted for missing numerous gilt-edged chances since joining from Benfica in 2022, in a deal that could eventually make him Liverpool's most expensive player of all time.
The Premier League leaders blocked Nunez's potential exit to Saudi Arabia over the winter due to their lack of time to find a replacement, but the Reds will likely be receptive to bids for the South American when the next window opens.
Arteta 'expresses interest' in Nunez deal?
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The financial powerhouses of Saudi Arabia are likely to reignite their interest in a few months' time, but according to Fichajes, Arsenal could surprisingly throw their hat into the ring too.
Both the Gunners and Liverpool are looking for an upgrade on their current centre-forward options, as Arsenal have been found wanting in attack during the absences of Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Martinelli.
The Gunners are believed to have made the likes of Benjamin Sesko and Alexander Isak their primary targets, but Arteta has supposedly 'expressed an interest' in bringing Nunez to North London as well.
The Spaniard apparently feels that the ex-Benfica man has the physical profile and 'attacking qualities' needed to succeed at the Emirates, but if he did join the Gunners, he would not be an undisputed starter.
The report claims that Arteta still has total trust in his current offensive formula, so Nunez would have to be content with a rotational role similar to the part he is currently playing at Anfield.
The Uruguayan has produced 40 goals and 24 assists in 135 appearances for Liverpool in all competitions but has unsurprisingly never warranted an extension to his contract, which expires in 2028.
Could Nunez be Arsenal's Havertz 2.0?
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Liverpool should jump at the chance to offload Nunez to Arsenal, as doing so would surely eliminate one of their main threats in the race for Newcastle United's Isak, said to be one of the Reds' top striker targets this summer.
Whether Slot's side can still stump up the £120m+ that the Magpies are after remains to be seen, but Arsenal are unlikely to break the bank with that amount, meaning that Nunez could become Arteta's latest regeneration project.
The Gunners boss has made a habit of 'fixing' struggling players during his tenure at Arsenal, achieving brilliant success with Granit Xhaka, struggling with Raheem Sterling and yielding mixed results with Havertz.
Not all Arsenal fans took to Havertz's arrival, and while the German has now won more of them over, some of the jury is still out, and Arteta should be aware that Nunez would hardly be a popular arrival at the Emirates.
Ben Knapton
