Liverpool Forward Faces Ban Blow Amid Transfer Exit Talks | OneFootball

Darwin Nunez Facing Liverpool Exit and Fresh Ban Blow

Unsettled Season Raises Questions Over Future

Darwin Nunez has endured a turbulent campaign at Liverpool. Despite being fit throughout, the Uruguayan forward has managed just 17 starts under Arne Slot, who succeeded Jurgen Klopp in May 2024. Nunez’s return of seven goals and seven assists from 45 appearances in all competitions belies the expectation that once surrounded his arrival.

Slot’s tactical reshuffle has seen Luis Diaz operate centrally—a bold shift considering Diaz’s natural preference for the wing. The move has largely marginalised Nunez, whose future now appears increasingly uncertain as the summer window approaches.

Photo IMAGO

Exit Rumours Intensify as European and Saudi Clubs Circle

With Nunez slipping down the pecking order, several suitors are circling. Atletico Madrid and Napoli are believed to be monitoring the 25-year-old closely, while financial powerhouses in Saudi Arabia are also credited with strong interest. A summer departure from Anfield looks likely, especially with Slot expected to reshape the squad in his own image.

Ban Confirmed After Copa America Incident

Amid this club uncertainty, Nunez’s international future has also been clouded. He will now serve the remainder of a ban handed down by CONMEBOL, stemming from an altercation with fans following Uruguay’s Copa America semi-final loss to Colombia in July 2024.

South American football’s governing body banned the striker for five international matches and fined him £15,145 ($20,000). “The conduct of the players constituted a voluntary, violent and unjustified action which was in violation of the CONMEBOL disciplinary code.”

Photo: IMAGO

Footage captured Nunez physically confronting Colombian fans in the stands after full-time. Though he served two matches of the ban, the Uruguay FA appealed to CAS to annul the punishment, citing self-defence. The Court of Arbitration for Sport, however, dismissed the claim. “The panel found that in this case the principle of self-defence does not apply,” a CAS statement read.

World Cup Qualification Blow for Uruguay

The decision means Nunez will miss key World Cup qualifiers: away in Paraguay, at home against Venezuela, and the clash with Peru in September. Four other Uruguay players involved in the incident have now served their respective suspensions, but for Nunez, the fallout continues.

As his Anfield story seems to edge towards a premature ending, his standing with Uruguay has also taken a significant hit—leaving questions hanging over a player once earmarked as Liverpool’s next great No. 9.