Liverpool ‘to sell Darwin Nunez’ after what Anfield icon spotted
Darwin Nunez faces an uncertain future at Liverpool.
The 25-year-old has struggled to force his way into Arne Slot‘s starting line-up this season, making just eight starts in the Premier League.
In his 30 appearances in the top-flight, Nunez notched five goals and two assists, which is simply not good enough for a player who was signed for a fee of approximately £64million.
The Uruguayan star has been linked with moves to the likes of Atletico Madrid and Saudi Arabian outfits this summer.
Liverpool should part ways with Nunez
The former Benfica star has failed to live up to the huge expectations that come with leading the line at Anfield.
Slot has regularly criticised his work rate and attitude several times since he took over, and is reluctant to play him as a result.
Dean Saunders, who featured 61 times and won the 1992 FA Cup with the Reds, believes that the Merseysiders should sanction a sale for the 35-cap international when the transfer window reopens.
Asked whether his former side should sell Nunez on talkSPORT (31 May, 6:33 am), he said: “I think so, yeah.
“In the last few games, he looked like he wasn’t putting himself in the positions to miss; he looks like a beaten man.
“If you don’t score goals as a striker, it erodes away at your confidence, then you start doubting everything you do, you doubt every step you take, even when you are pressing, you think ‘shall I go?’
“When you’re playing well and you are confident, you just do everything naturally, a couple of times, he was stood still in the box, not on the move like he normally is.
“I think he has been ground down, and they will have to move him on.”
Nunez departure feels inevitable for Liverpool
A Nunez exit makes sense for all parties, he is not getting the gametime that he would like and Slot does not trust him to start regularly, preferring the likes of Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz.
Fenway Sports Group are set to hand Slot significant funding to improve his squad, but selling the ex-Almeria man would allow them to reinvest even more money into signings.
He has had positive moments, such as the brace against Brentford in January that put the L4 outfit in pole position to lift the title, but they are few and far between for a man whom they forked out a huge fee for.
His career with the Merseyside outfit will be summed up by the chances that he missed and frustrating moments, rather than goals that he scored or memorable ones, it has just not clicked for him under either Jurgen Klopp or the Dutchman.
He has proven that he cannot handle the expectations that come with playing for such a huge club, and a departure feels inevitable.