Liverpool ‘wanted’ £42m-rated forward as part of Darwin Nunez summer swap deal

Liverpool have had quite the whirlwind transfer window this summer, and even now with business closed, there are still some surprise new nuggets of information rearing their heads.

The main focus for the Reds was to restructure the engine room and while they managed to bring in four new midfielders, they also let go of five of their own, including Jordan Henderson and Fabinho, who both made the switch to Saudi Arabia.

Fortunately, the late signings of Wataru Endō and Ryan Gravenberch cushioned the blow but Liverpool had some other recruitment ideas on their radar prior to their midfield panic. As well as looking for a new centre-back, talks floated around the idea of Jurgen Klopp wanting a fresh option in attack.

Of course, the Kylian Mbappé rumours commanded a lot of the attention but the Reds were also reportedly keen on João Félix, who spent last season on loan with Chelsea. The £43 million-rated ace secured a loan move to Barcelona on Deadline Day after stating it was his dream to join the Catalonia outfit, but he had previously turned down a lot of other interest.

According to Mundo Deportivo, Félix rejected a number of clubs who registered their desire to sign him, and one of them was Liverpool. Klopp and co had reportedly made an offer for the Portugal international, battling the likes of Manchester United, Aston Villa and Al-Hilal for his signature.

The report states that Liverpool ‘wanted Félix in a swap’ deal involving Darwin Núñez, who joined the Reds in an £85 million move last summer. A debate has been ongoing over whether the 24-year-old has been living up to his handsome price tag but he silenced a lot of doubters against Newcastle United. Núñez came off the bench to produce a clutch two-goal performance to give the Reds a huge win after trailing early on and losing Virgil van Dijk to a red card. He also provided an assist during Sunday’s 3-0 win over Aston Villa.

With the worrying talks of Al-Ittihad’s relentless pursuit of Mohamed Salah as well, Liverpool need big performers like Núñez right now, just in case.