Remember Darwin Nunez? Southern Italy is calling

According to Corriere dello Sport, Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has taken matters into his own hands in the pursuit of Darwin Nunez, holding direct talks with intermediary Fali Ramadani to try and bring the Liverpool forward to the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

With negotiations between Liverpool and Napoli reaching a standstill, De Laurentiis personally stepped in, meeting with Ramadani — who, while not Nunez’s official agent, is leading the transfer discussions on behalf of the striker.

Corriere also notes that Nunez is open to the move, meaning personal terms shouldn’t be a stumbling block. The biggest challenge remains the transfer fee. Liverpool reportedly value the Uruguayan at 60 millions, though Football Italia sources believe Napoli could seal the deal for closer to 50 millions. So far, however, the Serie A side has not gone above a 43 millions offer.

If a deal for Nunez falls through, Napoli are eyeing Udinese’s Lorenzo Lucca as a backup option, but he too would require a significant outlay — likely no less than 40 millions.

Liverpool don't want him - but there are clubs that do

Interestingly, Ramadani is also involved in talks over Federico Chiesa, another player on Napoli’s radar, and previously represented Kalidou Koulibaly during his move from Napoli to Chelsea in 2022.