Liverpool star 'confirms transfer to ex-team mate' as Alexander Isak deal awaits

Darwin Nunez has allegedly confirmed his Liverpool exit to friends, telling them that he is close to joining Napoli. Former Uruguay midfielder Walter Gargano has claimed that the forward told him that he will join the Italian club this summer.

Nunez has been strongly linked with a departure from Liverpool following a tough season. Despite winning the Premier League, the Uruguay international started only eight top-flight matches and found himself largely out of favour under Arne Slot. He managed only five Premier League goals and did not start a game after scoring in a win over Southampton on March 8. The 26-year-old could now link up with Kevin De Bruyne at Napoli.

Gargano insists that he recently shared a conversation with Nunez and told him to join Napoli, for whom the 40-year-old also played. The Liverpool striker, 26, is said to have responded positively about a potential move and revealed that he was waiting to complete a switch to Naples.

"The heat of the Neapolitans would do him a lot of good," Gargano told Italy's RadioGoal24. "I spoke to him about a week ago and I hope he gets to Naples. I told him, 'Go to Naples!'. He told me, 'Yes, I'm coming to Naples, I'm waiting to close with Napoli'.

"The Napoli squad, with De Bruyne and possibly Nunez, will make a leap in quality. Today Napoli's goal must be to go deep in the Champions League as much as possible. But I will always be a fan of Napoli, even if in the end Darwin doesn't arrive."

Nunez's departure is reportedly likely to see Liverpool recruit a new centre-forward. It is one of very few areas of the pitch in which the Reds can significantly improve. Diogo Jota, Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz all led the line at various points last season.

Newcastle's Alexander Isak is widely reported to be a potential target for the Reds, although his signing could be a difficult deal to complete this summer. Isak fired Newcastle to Champions League qualification last season. Even if Liverpool can persuade Newcastle to the negotiating table, it would likely take another nine-figure deal.

According to The Athletic, Liverpool also have an interest in former Manchester City star Julian Alvarez, who joined Atletico Madrid last summer. A new forward could be part of a big-spending summer, with Milos Kerkez set to join Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong at Anfield.