Liverpool 'make contact' with £43.5m-rated Premier League striker after Darwin Nunez transfer update

Liverpool have reportedly touched base with Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta as they ramp up their pursuit of a new striker.

The Reds kicked off their pre-season preparations with an emotionally charged 3-1 win over Preston North End over the weekend, in their first match since the devastating death of Diogo Jota and his brother.

Darwin Nunez was among the scorers at Deepdale amid talk of a move away from Anfield, where he has struggled to hit the heights expected of him since his 2022 move from Benfica.

Serie A champions Napoli were understood to have been pushing for a deal for the Uruguayan, but a move to Italy is now thought to be off due to the excessive cost.

Instead, the Saudi Pro League door could reopen for Nunez, who was blocked from moving to the Middle East during the January transfer window, but Liverpool will now accept appropriate bids for the South American.

Liverpool 'make contact' with Mateta camp as Nunez uncertainty intensifies

Should Nunez depart following Jota's tragic death, Liverpool would be expected to search for a successor up front, and Foot Mercato claims that Palace number nine Mateta has emerged as a genuine option for the Premier League champions.

The Frenchman's representatives reportedly held a meeting with Liverpool chiefs in Paris recently, and the Reds are aware that Mateta is now in the final two years of his contract with the FA Cup winners.

As a result, Palace would supposedly be willing to sell for a fee in between the €50m (£43.5m) and €60m (£52.2m) range, although Liverpool will have to fend off the threat of rivals Manchester United.

Mateta initially struggled in the Premier League following his loan arrival from Mainz 05 in January 2021, but under the tutelage of Oliver Glasner, the 28-year-old has blossomed.

Mateta has scored 30 goals across the last two Premier League seasons, including 14 strikes last term, and he started five matches during the Eagles' run to FA Cup glory.

Which other strikers are Liverpool targeting?

With fewer than two years remaining on his contract, Mateta would likely prove to be a cheaper alternative to some of Liverpool's other striker options, including Newcastle United's Alexander Isak.

The Magpies are believed to have slapped a not-for-sale sticker on the head of the Sweden international, although that could soon change following the news that they have apparently made a bid for Eintracht Frankfurt's Hugo Ekitike.

The latter is supposedly on Liverpool's radar too, but a move to St James' Park for Ekitike could potentially open the door for Isak to depart, albeit for nothing less than £100m.

Atalanta BC's Ademola Lookman is also rumoured to have caught Arne Slot's eye, but the Nigerian is not an out-and-out centre-forward and was found wanting during his spells in England with Fulham and Leicester City.

Written by
Ben Knapton