"Real Madrid were really interested after missing out on the Kylian Mbappe deal" - Fabrizio Romano explains how Liverpool signed Darwin Nunez ahead of Los Blancos

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Real Madrid were interested in signing Darwin Nunez before Liverpool snapped up the Uruguayan forward.

The Reds made Nunez the latest addition to their attack in a club-record £85 million deal earlier this summer. He was also linked with Manchester United, but ultimately signed a five-year contract with Jurgen Klopp's side.

Romano has now revealed that Real Madrid held an interest in Nunez after missing out on Kylian Mbappe, who extended his contract with Paris Saint-Germain this summer. The Italian journalist added that passport issues restricted Los Blancos from signing Nunez.

Romano said on his YouTube channel (as quoted by HITC):

“It was not easy guys. Why? Because I want to reveal to you that Real Madrid were really interested after missing out on the Kylian Mbappe deal.”

He went on to add:

“One of the strikers wanted by Real Madrid was Darwin Nunez, but it was not possible from a passport point of view, because Darwin has no European passport and with Real Madrid it would not be possible to register Darwin Nunez if they found an agreement with Benfica, so it was impossible to complete that negotiation.”

Nunez was one of the most sought-after players in this summer's transfer window. The 23-year-old was on fire for SL Benfica last season, netting 34 goals in 41 matches across all competitions.

The Liverpool forward has also made 10 appearances for Uruguay, scoring two goals.

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Real Madrid notably signed Liverpool target Aurelien Tchouameni this summer

Nunez wasn't the only player linked with both Los Blancos and Liverpool this summer. French midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni had also attracted interest from both the 2021-22 UEFA Champions League finalists.

He ultimately joined the Spanish giants on a six-year deal from AS Monaco for a fee of around £68 million, including add-ons, as per the Mirror.

The 22-year-old will bolster an already stacked Los Blancos midfield consisting of Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, Casemiro, Fede Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga.

Tchouameni made 50 appearances for Monaco last season, scoring five goals and laying out three assists. Overall, he has played 94 times for the Ligue 1 outfit, recording eight goals and seven assists.

The midfielder has won 12 caps for France and was part of the French side that lifted the UEFA Nations League trophy in 2021.