Arne Slot says Liverpool are still in the market for signings as Nunez departure nears

Arne Slot says Liverpool are still in the market for attacking signings this summer as Darwin Nunez edges closer to a move to Saudi Arabia.

The Reds have agreed a sale worth around £46 million with Al-Hilal for Nunez, which would end the Uruguayan’s mixed three-year spell at Anfield.

While the move is expected to be finalised in the coming days, it will leave Liverpool short of senior attacking options, especially after the departures of Luis Díaz to Bayern Munich and the tragic death of Diogo Jota last month.

The Dutchman however, remained typically coy when asked directly on Friday about whether Isak could replace the Uruguayan.

“As you know from me, and I think every manager works like this, you never talk about players that are not yours,” he told reporters.

“So I can talk to you about Hugo (Ekitike), who we’ve signed recently and has done really well until now. We are very happy with the squad we have and there’s every reason to be happy about that, because we won the league last season.”

Liverpool’s admiration for Isak is no secret, having seen a £110 million bid for the Sweden international rejected earlier in the summer.

The 25-year-old scored 27 goals in all competitions last season, firing Newcastle to the Carabao Cup and a fifth-place Premier League finish that secured Champions League football.

Isak has since been left out of Newcastle first-team training and was absent from their pre-season tour of Asia.

The Reds are expected to revisit their interest should Newcastle line up a replacement.

“Okay, players left, but we’ve brought players in as well and youngsters are doing good,” Slot said on whether he is still hoping for more attacking signings.“So at this moment in time Darwin might leave, indeed, but things are not signed yet. We need to wait maybe a few days before that’s completely done, but there is indeed a chance that he’s going to leave.

“I think, we think, we already have a lot of attacking power in our team. I think about Cody Gakpo, Federico Chiesa, Hugo Ekitike, Mo Salah, Jeremie Frimpong who can play as a right winger, Florian Wirtz who can play as a left winger.

“I already feel I have a lot of attacking options in my current squad, but as always as a club, we are always looking at the chances in the market. But that can also be in the midfield or in the last line.”