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Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez is on a list of potential targets that Real Madrid could sign after the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, as per Defensa Central (h/t Echo).
The ink has barely dried up on Nunez's contract with the Reds, which he signed this summer. The Reds agreed to pay £85.5 million with add-ons in transfer fees, which could make him the most expensive signing in the club's history.
Apart from the Liverpool striker, the list of potential targets also includes Gabriel Jesus of Arsenal, PSV Eindhoven's Cody Gakpo, and Tottenham Hotspur's Richarlison.
The two Brazilians, like Nunez, joined their respective clubs this summer. Such is the pull of a club like Real Madrid that such factors are often negligent if they really want to sign a player.
The financial and cultural clout of Los Blancos is enough to attract some of the world's biggest players to the Santiago Bernabeu. Manager Carlo Ancelotti will be aware of the fact that his team requires a long-term successor to Karim Benzema.
The Frenchman, 34, is in the twilight of his playing career and his aging body isn't immune to fitness issues. His contract, which was renewed automatically after his 2022 Ballon d'Or win in October, expires in the summer of 2024.
Apart from Mariano Diaz, Los Blancos have no other senior striker to take up Benzema's position in the future. The former Olympique Lyonnais striker is currently out with an injury that forced him to miss the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
It is unlikely that Liverpool will be open to selling a player they signed as part of their new-look frontline. Nunez, who has started in both of Uruguay's World Cup group-stage games so far, is on a contract that runs until the summer of 2027 at Anfield.
Uruguay's Real Madrid and Liverpool superstars must turn up the heat against Ghana
After drawing blanks in the 0-0 draw with South Korea and the 2-0 loss against Portugal, Nunez is expected to start against Ghana on 2 December.
So is Real Madrid star Federico Valverde, who has been an important presence for the South American nation in their midfield. However, the duo have largely failed to impress, apart from fleeting moments of brilliance.
Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez, both 35, are no spring chickens at this age, which makes Nunez the main threat up top. Real Madrid's Valverde, meanwhile, is arguably their best midfielder at both ends of the pitch.
Uruguay will need these two to be on song when they face Ghana in a must-win game.
