The future of Darwin Nunez is going to be one of the biggest talking points for Liverpool in this summer’s transfer market.
The striker has endured a tough campaign under Arne Slot, scoring just seven goals from 40 appearances and he has netted just once in his last 13 games. That form has even bled into his international performances, with the ex-Benfica star underwhelming for Uruguay in last week’s 1-0 loss to Argentina.
Nunez has been linked with a summer exit and, following recent criticism from Arne Slot, that feels like a real possibility. Several ex-Reds certainly think so.
“I can’t see Darwin Nunez in a Liverpool shirt next season, personally,” Michael Owen said earlier this week. “I think there’s interest in him as well from one or two Premier League teams, of course there’s foreign interest as well, so I can’t see Darwin being a Liverpool player next season.”
Owen’s former team-mate Stephen Warnock shared a similar view. “Liverpool need to sign two attackers in the summer, regardless of whether Mohamed Salah stays or goes,” he recently told Liverpool.com, adding that Nunez could become ‘surplus to requirements’.
Writing recently in his column for CaughtOffside, Stan Collymore said: “Darwin Nunez arrived at Liverpool as a very confident player, and now he looks too robotic – and that is probably because of the pressure that he is under at Anfield, which is a complete kettle of fish compared to what he experienced at Benfica.
“Nunez has definitely been affected by his Liverpool experience, and I think that he should leave – simply put, he is not up to the standards needed at Liverpool, which can be very unforgiving.”
(Image: Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)
Another former Liverpool striker also feels Nunez does not have enough quality to be Liverpool’s first-choice striker. “You’re not signing him to work hard, you’ve got to score goals, you’ve got to perform better, you’ve got to do better in that Liverpool shirt. The more I see him, the more I think he’s not a Liverpool player,” said Robbie Fowler in January.
Finally, Emile Heskey has also expressed his reservations over Nunez’s capabilities. “As a player, you want to get a run of games and some consistency behind you. You want to feel loved by the manager and playing you consistently makes you think that. It would be nice for Nunez, but this is football.”
Speaking about what Liverpool’s no.9 lacks, Heskey added: “I think it’s just the composure in front of goal.”
