Stephen Warnock says what every Liverpool fan’s thinking after watching eight minutes of Darwin Nunez
Can Darwin Nunez actually be a long-term success at Liverpool Football Club?
The jury remains firmly out on that particular question, with the Uruguayan still yet to discover the kind of consistent vein of form more frequently enjoyed by the likes of Mo Salah and Co.
The former Benfica hitman got fans’ hopes up once again, however, with a sensational cameo against Brentford in a Premier League encounter at the weekend.
37 shots were taken against a determined Thomas Frank side, with Nunez’s two shots on target enough to sink the Bees in and around extra time.
But can the 25-year-old capitalise on a potentially classic moment in the 2024/25 title race and finally justify the significant expense (£64m upfront) it took to prise him away from Portugal?
Only time will tell.
Every Liverpool fan wants Darwin Nunez to be a success
It’s worth emphasising that we firmly agree with Stephen Warnock’s viewpoint that the fanbase would love nothing more than to see Nunez justify his continued involvement with the club.
“Liverpool fans are desperate for Darwin Nunez to do well,” the former Red spoke on BBC Radio 5 Live eight minutes into the Champions League clash between Liverpool and Lille.
“They will be hoping that his goals at Brentford at the weekend will give him some confidence.”
That said, with only 10 goal contributions in 27 games (across all competitions) this term, our No.9 simply isn’t living up to expectations three seasons into his Anfield career.
His current rate of a goal or assist every 140.3 minutes is a far cry from 2023/24’s rate of one every 97.61 minutes.
Hardly a comforting statistic, and one that indicates a clear regression following Arne Slot’s arrival last summer.
Is there still cause for optimism? Of course. However, Darwin Nunez has only half a season remaining to prove his worth to a manager who has generally preferred to play Luis Diaz central in order to accommodate Cody Gakpo on the left wing.
We’re holding out on the hope of a dramatic and consistent improvement, but otherwise, we can’t see a world in which Slot keeps the faith beyond the current campaign.
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