Liverpool are not convinced by the quality they’ve seen from Darwin Nunez in training this season.
That’s according to Spanish outlet El Pais. They claim that ‘leaders’ at Liverpool have admitted that the signing of Nunez from Benfica was a ‘folly.’
They go as far as claiming that the Uruguayan’s signing is a ‘striking stain’ on Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp’s excellent record in the transfer market.
This is reportedly because of the lack of ‘cognitive abilities’ Nunez is showing both in training and in matches.
Nunez putting pressure on himself
This a quite remarkable claim from the Spanish paper. Nothing like writing off a player before he’s even had the chance to get going.
The nature of Nunez’s signing from Benfica does seem to have lent itself to this kind of reporting. Whether it was the £64m fee, or the fact that he doesn’t have any top European league experience, some seem to have found glee in doing him down.
In fairness, Nunez hasn’t helped himself to some extent in that regard. The reckless nature of his sending off against Crystal Palace on his Anfield debut made sure of that.
Before that, the 23-year-old had started well at his new club. Two goals in two games from the bench had fans forgetting his price-tag already.
But on his first start, Nunez made sure the pressure on him would be ramped up. A senseless headbutt on Joachim Andersen saw him miss Liverpool’s next three games.
In his absence, Liverpool struggled a little, heightening the scrutiny on him for the red card.
Since returning, Nunez hasn’t really been given such a fair crack of the whip. 80 minutes against Everton were followed up with just 30 against Napoli.
Not enough time to make a proper impact, but he’s looked lively and relatively sharp. By all accounts, Liverpool coaches and teammates have been pleased with his efforts, too.
Not enough time to make a proper impact, but he’s looked lively and relatively sharp. By all accounts, Liverpool coaches and teammates have been pleased with his efforts, too.
The best way for Nunez to silence these kinds of reports is with performances on the pitch. Expect him to do just that.
