Darwin Nunez set to make Liverpool point to Arne Slot following Edinson Cavani's Uruguay retirement

Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez could be set for a major summer in the direction of his career as he is set to fully takeover for Uruguay as their number nine tasked with bringing home the Copa America.

This comes in light of the announcement from Edinson Cavani; the veteran attacker announced his retirement from international football last week meaning one of the country’s greatest every players has moved on. In a career spanning 14 years, 136 caps and 58 goals, the former Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United forward has been an icon for the country.

However, Luis Suarez, now 37, is still going strong in the MLS with Inter Miami and will be included in Marcelo Biesla’s squad and has 14 goals in 20 games this season - but it will be Nunez who will lead the line ahead of a huge summer tournament where they will hope to beat Brazil and Argentina to the big prize. It could be a career-defining summer for Nunez who could ride off the potential success in South America into a new era at club level with Arne Slot.

With Cody Gakpo and Diogo Jota battling it out for that striker spot, a strong tournament for either one of the trio at the European Championships or Copa America could see them edge each other out in Slot’s strongest XI. Nunez has eight goals in 22 appearances for his country but his last six games under Bielsa have been brilliant and he looks a different beast for his country.

Across the World Cup qualifiers, he managed eight goal contributions in six games including goals against both Brazil and Argentina, as they beat both countries 2-0. If he can continue to bring the animosity and confidence he plays with under Bielsa, then he can help take Uruguay far into the competition which they haven’t won since 2011.

Nunez’s side are boosted by a favourable group with United States, Panama and Bolivia. If they win their group, they will face the runner-up of Group D which has Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay and one of Costa Rica or Honduras. If they find themselves runners-up in their own group, they will likely face Brazil who are favourites to win Group D.

To win the competition, it is likely they will have to beat both Brazil and Argentina on route, who have won the last two competitions. Despite criticism this season, Nunez managed 18 goals and 13 assists which was a substantial increase on his first season in England and he knows that there is a competition brewing for his spot at Liverpool now Jurgen Klopp, who was a huge advocate of Nunez, is departed.

Even if Nunez can lead Uruguay to the semi-finals or, even beyond, he will likely play a huge role in doing so as the new number nine of this era. And any success is likely to thrust him into the forefront of Liverpool’s plans for next season.