Two years after his record move to Anfield, Darwin Nunez remains divided on the biggest question of all; ‘is he good enough to be at Liverpool?’
There are two schools of thought on this, with seemingly no middle ground. You’re either in the ‘Nunjez offers more than goals’ camp, or you’re in the team to get rid of it.
He joins a list of Liverpool players that includes Alberto Moreno, Andy Carroll and Jordan Henderson; love or hate, criticize or crave.
The striker preview for the 2022/23 season ended with a reflection on the campaign we have just witnessed; ‘he wouldn’t be first choice, leaving him a point to prove’, but 12 months later has anything changed?
Nunez showed once again what he can contribute to this Liverpool team, but also raised questions about what happens next – not the best statement to make two years in a row, but it remains as valid now as it was then.
Started: 33 (All Competitions)
Included as a replacement: 21
Objectives: 18
Assists: 13
The good, the bad and the bizarre
It was no real surprise to see Liverpool start the season away to Chelsea with a front three of Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah.
The Uruguayan was brought on after 66 minutes and contributed to the closing moments of the game with two blocked shots from outside the area.
He offered little against a surprisingly awful Chelsea side – a 1-1 draw that, in hindsight, gave the first day an indication of Liverpool’s problems during the season, too many missed opportunities.
Jurgen Klopp decided to keep him on the bench for the next two games. Four minutes of action followed against Bournemouth and seven days later, at St James’ Park with Liverpool trailing 1-0, Nunez was brought on with 13 minutes remaining.
What followed was simply amazing. Accuracy and power from 15 yards to fire the ball past Nick Pope gave Liverpool an equalizer with nine minutes remaining.
Incredibly Nunez then scored an almost identical goal deep into stoppage time. The forward came off the bench to produce the winning performance. His first shot had an xG of 0.07, while his second hit 0.36.
The criticisms of his debut season seemed to be clearly answered, that’s what everyone wanted to see – strength, desire and precision, everything a center forward should be.
Unfortunately, in the next 15 league games, he found the back only in the next three times. He was a bit better in Europe, but that was the Europa League, a competition Liverpool were expected to win.
As 2023 drew to a close, the talk surrounding the 24-year-old was exactly the same, could he be trusted to carry the weight of expectation, could Liverpool stay top until May?
Into the new year
As 2024 began, Nunez again sought to respond to criticism. Two extremely well taken goals against Bournemouth were followed in quick succession by another three from three.
The Reds were on top and in the title race, but as March turned to April, Liverpool’s wheels fell off and Darwin was one of the failed madmen who derailed a possible trophy glut.
Defeat in the Merseyside derby against Everton ended Liverpool’s realistic chance of winning a final Premier League title under Klopp. Nunez on the show that night showed all the characteristics that come with a player who is not suited to the club.
Shots, poor accuracy, terrible decision making – bad enough if you only had one, but having all three and not for the first time, was a step too far for many.
He looked and acted as frustrated as those watching his performance.
His season statistics showed 63% shooting accuracy, he could find the target, but 11 goals from 108 shots, 83 inside the box, told its story. When the job came to an end, Nunez found himself at a disadvantage.
A fiery striker makes all the difference. One who fails to make a difference brings nothing but questions.
The Uruguayan missed 27 big chances against Opta, second only to Erling Haaland who missed 34, which is crucial, although the Norwegian found the net 27 times in winning the Golden Boot.
Nunez finished the Premier League season 19th among the top scorers, and his tally of 11 puts him in the company of attacking midfielders and traditional wingers.
Nottingham Forest’s Chris Wood scored 14, while former Red Dominic Solanke scored 19.
Liverpool’s most expensive striker has failed to find the net consistently or convincingly. Had this been otherwise, the lone League Cup might have been surrounded by a few more pieces of silverware.
The future
It was evident that Núñez was third choice under Klopp and, had the charismatic German not left Anfield, the exit door might have been open this summer for the former Benfica man.
As it is, new head coach Arne Slot considers the number 9 ‘critical to his plans. This may have given the striker another year to prove his worth, but the pressure will be on from the first whistle.
Can Slott get out of Nunez what Klopp couldn’t? Could a new era for Liverpool begin with the Uruguayan realizing his form for the 2021/22 season?
It remained the only season in which he excelled, with 26 goals and four assists in 28 games in the Portuguese League. That’s the kind of comeback a Liverpool striker needs and will be expected to deliver.
Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes will be keeping a close eye on how Nunez has been performing lately. His fox-style hat-trick for Uruguay last week may have given Liverpool’s new hierarchy something to look forward to.
It could have come at the right time, as Nunez would still command a decent fee in the European market, providing funds that could be used to strengthen Liverpool in other areas.
One thing is certain, August-November will pave the way for Liverpool and Nunez’s future together. A poor start to the season could signal an £85m exit.
Best moment: His match-winning performance at Newcastle should be what we see week in and week out, as should his goalscoring performance against Bournemouth.
Worst moment: Too many great chances were missed to choose, but you won’t find a worse example of clinical finishing than the one we saw against Everton.
Role next season: Sloto’s arrival should offer him one last saving grace at Liverpool. If he fails to accept her, then the Uruguayan’s Christmas card message could read ‘adios’.
