Napoli’s ‘Darwin Nunez Valuation’ Revealed, Ex-Teammate Makes Huge Claim | OneFootball

Darwin Núñez is ready to join Napoli “right away”, according to his former teammate and compatriot Walter Gargano. Although, the Serie A champions are reportedly considerably short of Liverpool’s valuation for the Uruguayan striker.

Núñez fell badly out of favour at Liverpool last season following Arne Slot’s succession of Jürgen Klopp, and a transfer has long been on the cards this summer.

The mercurial forward enjoyed a prolific breakout year with Benfica in 2021–22, but is one of the few Liverpool signings of the last decade that hasn’t been considered a success.

Napoli are in the midst of an ambitious summer off the back of winning Serie A, and Gazzetta dello Sport writes that Núñez has given his blessing for the club to go into “deeper discussions” with Liverpool.

But there remains a difference in how the two sides of the table value him, with Napoli prepared to offer €40 million (£34.1 million, $46.5 million) and Liverpool ideally wanting €70 million (£59.7 million, $81.4 million). Salary demands are thought to be in the region of €5 million (£4.3 million, $5.8 million).

But what the report emphasises is that Napoli really want Núñez.

Núñez has struggled for game time under Arne Slot. / IMAGO/Sportimage

It seems those feelings are reciprocated, based on what former Napoli and Uruguay midfielder Walter Gargano told local radio station Kiss Kiss.

“The warmth of the Neapolitans would do him a lot of good, I spoke to him about a week ago and I hope he really comes to Napoli,” Gargano said of Núñez. “I told him, ‘Go to Napoli!’ He and his family will decide what to do with his future. He told me, ‘Yes, I’ll come to Napoli right away. I’m waiting to close with Napoli.’”

Gargano, a Napoli player for eight years from 2007 until 2015, was briefly a colleague of Núñez’s when the strike made the breakthrough at Uruguayan giants Peñrol in 2017. Núñez left for Europe—Almería in Spain—less than two years later, but their pair have clearly stayed in touch.

If Napoli are able to strike a deal with Liverpool, it looks as though Núñez will have a new home.