Slot ‘must adapt at Liverpool’ as Darwin Nunez update emerges from Italy
Darwin Nunez had been expected to depart Liverpool this summer.
In the three years since his £64million arrival, potentially rising to £85m with add-ons, the Uruguayan has failed to impress.
And the arrival of Arne Slot last summer only worked to further reduce Nunez’s minutes, the striker starting just eight times in the Premier League last season.
Nunez could end up staying at Anfield
Despite heavy links with a move to Serie A champions Napoli, an agreement is still yet to be found amid Liverpool’s eagerness to regain the majority of the fee they spent to buy Nunez from Benfica.
Reports from Italy on Saturday (12 July) suggest a move now appears to be breaking down, with the Reds facing a situation in which the 26-year-old stays put at Anfield given a lack of suitable alternative offers.
Although a significant blow to Liverpool’s finances, something can still be said of the Uruguayan’s ability to contribute.
In Jurgen Klopp’s final season, Nunez looked to be rediscovering the form that had originally captured Liverpool scouts’ attentions to his potential in Portugal.
| Darwin Nunez | Premier League (2023/24) |
| Appearances | 36 |
| Goals | 11 |
| Assists | 10 |
Scoring 18 goals and providing 15 assists, the 26-year-old was a constant threat throughout the season, despite several high-profile misses.
As Liverpool looked to be soaring towards the Premier League title, Nunez went on a mid-season purple patch which saw him register 11 direct goal contributions in just 12 matches.
His drop off in form towards the end of the season coincided with a fall-away from Liverpool themselves, with the striker chosen to start on the bench for many of the closing fixtures.
Slot may have to accept partial blame
Whilst Nunez certainly suffered from a poor season, he not aided by the lack of faith deployed in him by his new head coach.
Slot’s reluctance to play the Uruguayan ultimately paid off, with Liverpool lifting the Premier League title at the end of the season, but the Dutchman must now take some blame for the club’s failure to sell their former-record signing.
Nunez’s viral misses were prominent in the 2023/24 season too, but Klopp’s persistence to stick with his striker saw them forgotten in aid of the shots that did find their mark.
With the club’s number nine now set to stay, Slot may be best minded to accept Nunez for the player he is, and trust him further next season.
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