Liverpool planning to hijack Arsenal's move for Viktor Gyokeres as Sporting CP striker eyed to replace Darwin Nunez

After joining Liverpool from Benfica in 2022, Nunez has endured a mixed spell at the club, with flashes of promise overshadowed by inconsistency in front of goal. Although Al-Nassr attempted to sign him during the January transfer window, it is Napoli who now seem poised to secure his signature in a deal that could be worth around €50 million (£43m/$58m).

Arne Slot is eager to fill that void, and, according to Correio da Manha, they are preparing to disrupt Arsenal’s pursuit of Gyokeres, with the Sporting CP striker now being identified as a leading candidate to replace Nunez. The Merseyside club has instructed intermediaries to get them information about the exact asking price for the 26-year-old, who is believed to have a release clause of €80m (£68m/$93m).

Gyokeres has already made it clear to Sporting that he wants to leave this summer, following a stellar campaign in which he finished as one of the top scorers across Europe. Arsenal have been leading the race for him in recent weeks, but Liverpool are reportedly preparing a serious push to beat their rivals to the striker's signature. The striker has previously rejected a potential reunion with former Sporting boss Ruben Amorim at Manchester United and is carefully weighing his next move.

In addition to Nunez, Colombian winger Luis Díaz is also being linked with a departure from Liverpool. Barcelona are reportedly monitoring his situation closely and are described as “very interested” in securing his services. If those sales are completed, Liverpool will have the funds necessary to invest further after breaking the British transfer record to sign Florian Wirtz. A move for Gyokeres, with his scoring pedigree, may soon become a priority for the Anfield hierarchy.