Michael Owen has admitted his doubt that Darwin Nunez will shed the “raw” label and develop into a “top player”, accepting that “what we see is what we get”.
Núñez finished his second season at Liverpool, scoring 33 goals and providing 17 assists in 96 games for the club.
The Uruguayan continued to attract attention for his consistency in front of goal during a difficult sophomore campaign, losing his place in the run-in side.
There has long been a belief that, while undoubtedly raw, Nunez could reach the heights of the world’s leading striker.
But with Liverpool’s No.9 turning 25 next week, his predecessor Owen is no longer convinced he will develop beyond his current level.
“People are really hoping he can turn into a top player because obviously they see some attributes that are phenomenal and hard to learn,” he told Liverpool Echo.
“But I think if it continues the way it is now, I think people will probably just accept that this is what it’s going to be forever.
“When I first saw him, I thought, my God, he’s raw. Obviously I expected that.
“I knew his age, but I expected it from a younger player. That they will learn more about the game and the role and things like that.
“But at his age, you think to yourself, well, if he hasn’t learned that by now — I’ve been saying that for a few years now, but I’m probably starting to think what you see is what you get now.”
Owen, however, claimed that Nunez is “a talented lad who has great attributes and is sure to have a big role for Liverpool”.
But he added: “Two years ago I thought this kid could be anything. I was so excited in a way to see what he could be.
“Now I’m starting to think what we see is what we get.”
After the war, only five Liverpool players recorded a better goals-per-game ratio than Owen, who found the back of the net every 1.9 games for the club on average.
Nunez is averaging a goal every 2.9 games so far, which is closer to Peter Crouch’s record (3.2).
It’s hard to shake the feeling that Owen might be right, though there have been reassurances that, with a change in the dugout as Arne Slott arrives, Nunez will remain a major project.
While the £85m signing is consistently in the right positions, his decision-making has regularly let him down.
The hope was that he would have honed that side of his game by now, after two years under Klopp, but there is now a feeling that the upcoming campaign could be make or break for Nunez.
