Liverpool news: Arne Slot clarifies Darwin Nunez rumours as replacement identified

Liverpool could be set to kick off their celebrations this weekend, with the Premier League title within their grasp. The Reds can claim the title by beating Leicester - who could also be relegated on Sunday - but only if Arsenal fail to beat Ipswich at Portman Road earlier in the day.

And should that happen, then Liverpool will be confirmed as Premier League champions for just the second time ever - and the first time under Arne Slot. The celebrations will no doubt go on for months.

But Liverpool will be in no mood to rest on their laurels. They will head into next season as defending champions and will need a few additions to ensure they remain at the top.

But they have been helped hugely with both Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk emphatically ending speculation over their futures by signing new deals at Anfield. Take a look at the rest of the headlines from the Merseyside:

Liverpool boss Slot has denied suggestions that striker Darwin Nunez clashed with a member of staff. Speaking in a press conference, the Dutchman said: “He didn’t feel himself the day before the match, and he went inside and he wasn’t able to be part of the team the day after.”

The Liverpool manager was then asked if he had words with a staff member, to which Slot replied: “No, he didn’t. He did leave the pitch because he didn’t feel himself.”

Nunez has endured a tricky season at Anfield with just seven goals to his name in all competitions. The striker has been linked with a move away from the club ahead of the summer transfer window.

One man who could be drafted in as a replacement for Nunez is Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo - but a deal does not look cheap. According to reports, the Cherries are expecting to receive around £70m for the forward this summer.

It comes after a campaign in which he has scored ten goals and notched six assists amid Bournemouth’s push for a European spot. And while a deal could be expensive, Arsenal could face plenty of competition as they attempt to convince Semenyo to move to Anfield.

Manchester United, Newcastle, Nottingham Forest, Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham are all interested. The Red Devils are the current front-runners, with Ipswich’s Liam Delap also an option.

Would Antoine Semenyo be a good signing for Liverpool? Share your thoughts in the comments below

Away from transfers, Reds boss Slot has hit back at a clutch of pundits suggesting that their season is a slight disappointment - claiming the Premier League is still the ‘ultimate achievement’.

He said: “The nice part of a pundit’s job is that you can write about something in two ways - positive or negative. If everyone had the same opinion, it would be quite boring.

“But Arsenal don’t have to win the Champions League just for us all to be sure that the Premier League is by far the best league and the most difficult league in the world. I don’t even think anyone can even debate that. Is it stronger than the season before or two or three seasons before? That’s up to everyone to debate.”

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