Liverpool forward Darwin Nunez has struggled for form since Arne Slot has arrived at the club, and The Athletic’s James Pearce has said that there is a big decision to be made about the former Benfica attacker next summer.
Nunez joined the Reds for a fee totalling around £85m back in 2022, paying an initial £64m, but he’s failed to set the world alight since signing on the dotted line. Under Slot, Nunez is no longer a guaranteed starter, but the club will undoubtedly be desperate for him to turn things around considering the fee they paid for him.
In attack, the likes of Diogo Jota or Cody Gakpo have been selected ahead of Nunez. Liverpool are flying high at the top of the Premier League, but he’s only managed to find the back of the net on two occasions in England’s top flight.
Speaking about the Uruguayan attacker, The Athletic’s Pearce has said that ‘it was telling’ that against the German and English champions, Bayer Leverkusen and Manchester City, Slot utilized wide player Luis Diaz in a central role, with Nunez on the bench. The respected reporter believes that ‘patience among even his most avid backers’ is wearing thin, with Jota, Gakpo, Mohamed Salah, and Diaz all finding the back of the net more times than Nunez.
Pearce adds that it is a ‘growing concern’ for Slot as Liverpool attempt to battle for the biggest prizes in football. Slot was also critical of Liverpool’s players despite their victory in Spain over Girona, slamming their lack of intensity and pressing – coincidentally, Nunez, whose form as been described as ‘alarming’, was the player leading the line before being substituted.
It will be interesting to see whether Slot decides to stick with Nunez in their next fixture, but Jota has been on the sidelines due to injury of late. When the Portuguese attacker returns to action, it certainly wouldn’t be a surprise to see him brought straight back into the starting XI considering Nunez’s lack of form. The bigger concern for Liverpool is what they do with Nunez in the long term, as it’s going to be difficult to make their money back on the chaotic striker.
