Darren Bent tips Darwin Nunez to ‘come good’, Liverpool should give him another year
Liverpool should persist with Darwin Nunez, whom Darren Bent has tipped to "come good" for the Reds next season.
Criticism over the Uruguayan's finishing has been rife from both Liverpool fans and neutrals alike, leading to suggestions from some quarters that the Reds should consider moving him on if they receive a suitable offer.
However, Bent feels Nunez has shown enough positive signs to have earned another season of patience.
Speaking to talkSPORT on 7 May, Bent said: "I really like [Nunez]. I think he makes good runs. I know sometimes he is offside, but [he has] power. If I was a centre-half, I wouldn’t want to play against him.
"I would give him another year. I really would. I think he will come good, I really do."
Should Liverpool stick with Darwin Nunez?
Nunez has scored 18 goals in 52 appearances totalling 2,992 minutes across all competitions for Liverpool this season, making him the club's second-highest scorer behind Mohamed Salah, who has netted 25 times in 42 games.
However, it is his conversion rate rather than the volume of his goals that causes the most frustration among supporters and critics.
Nunez has racked up an xG of 16.31 in the Premier League this term but only has 11 goals to show for it in the competition [FotMob].
However, the 24-year-old's xGOT (expected goals on target) total of 15.32 provides context.
While it is lower than his xG - validating suggestions his finishing does not match his ability to get himself into promising positions - the numbers would indicate that the quality of Nunez's shots are worth at least 15 goals.
It is possible to speculate, then, that some misfortune has contributed to his lower tally of 11, with goalkeepers collectively keeping out four more goals than they would have been expected to against him.
For a striker that pulls the trigger as frequently as Nunez - he has averaged 4.74 shots and 2.01 shots on target per 90 in the Premier League this season - statistical variance such as that is likely to even out over time.
An additional, underappreciated facet of Nunez's game is the creativity he has displayed this term. Across all competitions, he is second only to Salah again for assists, with 13 - the Egyptian has 14 - eight of which have come in the Premier League.
Watching Nunez's chaotic style can be frustrating at times - but he has all the tools to deliver an even more productive season for Liverpool in 2024/25.
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