Nunez admits he misses Liverpool as Man Utd block Rashford move to Anfield

Darwin Nunez has publicly admitted he misses Liverpool, just as Manchester United moved to prevent the Reds from signing Marcus Rashford this summer, with the striker’s £40m release clause explicitly excluding United’s two biggest rivals.

Nunez: ‘I miss Liverpool a lot’

Nunez left Anfield for Al-Hilal last summer but was dropped from the Saudi club’s squad following Karim Benzema’s arrival in January. Comments the Uruguayan made in March have resurfaced amid renewed speculation linking him with a return to Merseyside.

“Yes, I’d be lying if I said no, that I don’t miss them,” Nunez told AUFTV. “The truth is they made me feel very good and my family too. In difficult moments that I went through personally, the people always gave me that affection, that support and that was very important to me. Obviously I miss Liverpool, I miss them a lot.”

Reports from within the Uruguayan World Cup camp had claimed Nunez was set to re-sign for Liverpool this summer, though The Athletic has since pushed back on those claims, describing any such rumours as wide of the mark.

Rashford clause shuts out Liverpool and City

Marcus Rashford is available for £40m this summer due to a clause in his Manchester United contract — but that clause does not extend to Liverpool or Manchester City, with United specifically excluding their two fiercest rivals from the arrangement.

Rashford, 28, spent last season on loan at Barcelona, where he contributed 14 goals and ten assists as the club won the La Liga title. Despite that form, Barcelona have opted against making the deal permanent, and Rashford is expected to return to Old Trafford before his future is resolved.

Arsenal and Bayern Munich have been among the clubs linked with the England forward. Former Liverpool goalkeeper David James has urged the Reds to test United’s resolve regardless of the clause restriction.

“If I were Liverpool, I’d look to sign Marcus Rashford. I really would,” James said. “Whether he plays on the left or the right isn’t the main issue. Get him in first, and then you give it time to work out his best position. I think he’s an outstanding footballer. His football intelligence is off the scale, and so is his ability.”

Busy start to Liverpool’s summer window

The transfer window is only days old, but Liverpool have already been linked with a number of targets, including Ivory Coast midfielder Yan Diomande, Morocco’s Ayyoub Bouaddi, and Germany centre-back Nico Schlotterbeck. The Rashford and Nunez developments add further intrigue to what looks set to be an active summer at Anfield.