Fabrizio Romano has identified Villarreal’s Arnaut Danjuma as one player Liverpool ‘have been following for a long time’ amid heavy links to Darwin Nunez.
The Merseysiders are known for collecting long shortlists for positions they desire to upgrade, with several ‘backup signings’ paying dividends for the club over the years.
“What if the clubs miss out? It’s not really in Liverpool’s mindset to have a ‘Plan B’: they identify their target and try in every way to achieve it,” the Guardian journalist told Caught Offside. “I can tell you, however, that one player who they have been following for a long time is Arnaut Danjuma of Villarreal.”
As primarily a centre-forward who is capable of drifting out wide to the left-flank, the Dutchman would fit a similar profile to the Uruguayan hitman.
Coming at a cheaper release clause of £38m, according to Romano, the 25-year-old would come as a significantly cheaper option to his Primeira Liga counterpart, albeit at the cost of a potentially smaller remaining number of years in football.
Steep as the reported price-tag of £85m (made up of £68m in fee up front and bonuses) may seem, it’s one that will be diluted by the prospect of at least eight years at the top of the game – potentially more if Nunez is cut from a similar cloth to the likes of Sadio Mane and Mo Salah.
Liverpool will have their alternatives but for the moment we remain all-in for the Eagles star, who looks increasingly likely to end up in the famous red shirt this summer.