Uruguayan international Darwin Nunez joined Liverpool from top-scoring Benfica at the behest of manager Jurgen Klopp. He scored 15 goals in his first season and 18 in his second, and also provided 13 assists.
However, in his third year, he was replaced by a new coach. Coach Arne Slot has changed the image of the centre-forward. He is increasingly using dexterous players such as Portugal international Diogo Jota and Colombia international Luis Diaz, who are good at linking up with others, in the starting line-up and have not played as many games as he would have liked.
According to Football Insider, Liverpool are looking to sell the 25-year-old striker, who is also strongly felt to have dropped down the pecking order since last season, with a transfer fee of between £50 million and £60 million being set.
When he moved to England from Portugal, Liverpool put together a big deal, said to be worth up to £85 million. His goal-scoring vigour, his skill out of the back and his willingness to work hard defensively for the team have earned him trust, but in terms of scoring, he has failed to improve one-on-one with the goalkeeper and has often missed easy chances.
This, combined with the changing role of the centre-forward, means that he is spending more and more time on the bench in the Dutch coach’s team. On the other hand, he has also expressed his faith in the Uruguayan forward and does not seem to have any intention of selling him at the moment.
However, Nunez’s lack of foot technique is not a good match for the style of play favoured by coach Slot. He would be better suited to a counter-oriented team that creates vast spaces behind the opposition.
So, will the former Benfica forward be on the next leg of his journey after three years in the Premier League…?