Darwin Nunez has admitted he’s glad to be getting away from his struggles at Liverpool as he heads out on international duty – although he insists he’s not giving up at Anfield.
Nunez has made his way out to South America for the international break – in fact, he’ll be coming up against his Liverpool teammate Alexis Mac Allister as Uruguay hosts Argentina on Friday.
The striker will be aiming to put his struggles at Anfield firmly behind him as he represents his country once again. Speculation over his future continues to grow, with suggestions that he could be used as a makeweight in potential deals for Julian Alvarez or Alexander Isak in the summer.
Now in his third season at Liverpool, it seems increasingly likely that his future lies away from Merseyside. Nunez has just seven goals from 40 appearances this season, and has dropped down the pecking order under Arne Slot.
The Reds boss generally prefers Diogo Jota as his first-choice No.9, and has even sided with Luis Diaz in the central role on a number of occasions rather than start the club’s record signing.
Nunez is keen to put his struggles at Liverpool behind him as he links back up with his Uruguay teammates, but while he looks to be a good bet for a summer exit, he insists he won’t be throwing the towel in at Anfield.
(Image: Photo by Ed Sykes/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
“[I’m motivated] to forget a little about what’s happening there [at Liverpool],” he told Uruguayan outlet El Pais. “Besides, there’s nothing more beautiful for a player than wearing your country’s jersey.
“I’m happy thinking about the national team, enjoying every minute with it; these are moments that one goes through in football, and as I said recently: I’m not someone who throws in the towel because they don’t play, but rather I’m going to keep working so I can play.
“I know I’m not performing as well as I should; it’s difficult because when you’re doing well, like when I came on against PSG (in France, where I provided the assist for Harvey Elliott’s goal), your confidence changes, with the idea of being able to break it in the next match.
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“But then you get a slump, and I’m always there to help my teammates come back to the national team.
“I’m strong in my head, since my family always supports me, and that’s the important thing to keep working and bring joy to everyone, like beating Argentina to get the three points.”
Liverpool.com says: You’d have to imagine Liverpool will look to move Nunez on this summer. After nearly three seasons at Anfield, you can’t say the jury is out on him anymore – the verdict is clearly in now. An upgrade is needed on both him and Jota up front, but he can at least be satisfied that he has played a part in what should be a league title win.
