Opinion

Liverpool will have front-row seats to watch potential Darwin Nunez replacement in the Champions League after PSV announcement

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Liverpool face PSV Eindhoven this week in their final UEFA Champions League league phase game having already secured a last-16 spot.

A point away in the Netherlands will be enough to secure the top spot in the Champions League standings with Liverpool heading into the final matchweek of the competition as the only team with a 100% winning record.

With Liverpool aware of the four Champions League teams they could face, tomorrow night’s game in Eindhoven will offer Arne Slot a chance to rotate his side and to give some fringe players crucial minutes ahead of a busy period in the season for the Reds.

And as well as giving players some vital time on the pitch, Liverpool will now have a front-row seat to watch a player who could soon be signed to replace Darwin Nunez at Anfield in the summer transfer window.

PSV v NAC Breda - Dutch Eredivisie
Photo by Photo Prestige/Soccrates/Getty Images

Liverpool target Ricardo Pepi set to start for PSV

PSV manager Peter Bosz has confirmed that USA international Ricardo Pepi will start for the reigning Dutch champions against Liverpool this week, with the 22-year-old striker in fine form for the Eredivisie side this season.

Pepi has been linked with Liverpool with the former FC Dallas star enjoying his best season yet in Europe, with the attacker now tipped for a big-money move leading into the summer transfer window having impressed for PSV.

And with Nunez linked with a move away from Liverpool, there’s a real chance that Pepi could be signed by Slot as a replacement for the Uruguay international, especially if the former Augsburg man impresses tomorrow night against the Reds.

Indeed, Pepi knows he has a big chance to make a huge impression against Liverpool in the Champions League this week, and the Texas-born talent will want to show Slot and the world what he’s capable of heading into Wednesday’s exciting tie.

READ MORE: Who is Ricardo Pepi and why do Liverpool reportedly want to sign him?

How does Pepi compare to Nunez this season?

Nunez’s form has been well-publicised this season, with the Uruguay international once again struggling for goals and for consistency in what could well be the striker’s final year at Anfield having failed to make the grade once again.

Darwin Nunez’s 2024/25 Liverpool statsRicardo Pepi’s 2024/25 PSV Eindhoven stats
Games played2928
Goals617
Assists42

And looking at Nunez’s stats compared to Pepi’s, it’s clear why the USA international could be viewed as a replacement for the Liverpool no. 9 in the future, with the striker enjoying an incredibly productive season compared to his Anfield counterpart.

Should Pepi impress leading PSV’s attack, there’s a real chance that Liverpool will be swayed to make a move for the forward in the summer, who at 22-years-old is ready for the next big step in his career after developing nicely in the Netherlands.