With the news breaking in recent days that Napoli are on the verge of selling the uber-talented Victor Osimhen to Turkish champions Galatasaray for €75 million, it's not a shock to then read reports they are pivoting to our very own Darwin Nunez.
Coming into the summer, it was more than likely that the enigmatic Uruguayan would be departing Liverpool this summer in some shape or form.
He's coming off his worst statistical season in England and it feels like a reboot somewhere else is needed to try and unlock the vast potential inside him. In step the Italian champions.
The sudden and tragic passing of Diogo Jota has thrown another wrench into proceedings, so it is not a surprise that both clubs still have work to do before the final framework of a deal comes together.
Negotiations are still far apart
While it's now clear that Napoli have an immediate and medium-term need at the forward position, that does not mean the Reds will be taken advantage of.
Team Talk reports that the reigning English champions rejected a €50m plus €5m in add-ons offer for their No. 9.
Liverpool want something much closer to their own €75 million valuation of the player, which is a number that would see them recoup much of what they paid for him three years ago.
This has not turned away the Italian outfit as the player is also open to the move so while there is ground to cover, both sides are willing to keep working at it for the time being. Nunez is rapidly becoming the main target of this window for Gli Azzurri.
It will be interesting to see how firm Richard Hughes and Co. are on their valuation or if a €10m increase in the offer let's say, would do the job.
For now though, the talks are gaining steam but they are not close to the finish line at this time.
The Potential Repercussions
Were Nunez to eventually make the jump to Italy, he'd be going to one of the best situations a striker could ask for as the infrastructure is there and the weapons are on-hand to feed him as much service as he'll need.
Antonio Conte will love his physical characteristics and would surely utilize him on blistering counterattacks at any given moment.
The reigning Serie A MVP, Scott McTominay, would form quite an interesting tandem with Darwin and I could see them doing some damage in that league and in Europe.
As for the Liverpool perspective, a huge influx of €60m+ would be a boost towards their own search for a new world class forward, whether that is Alexander Isak, Julian Alvarez or someone else we don't know just yet.
The funds would surely be turned around into a package for a player of that ilk as Arne Slot continues to reshape the squad in his image.
The Reds would miss Nunez's running and effort, but a more clinical finisher could take the attack to an even higher level next season and beyond.