Liverpool given Darwin Nunez verdict as Arne Slot seeks central striker solution

Darwin Nunez's Liverpool future has come under question after another below-par performance during their win against Bologna in the Champions League at Anfield

Liverpool given final Darwin Nunez verdict as Arne Slot seeks central striker solution

Bookmark

Liverpool forward Darwin Nunez endured a frustrating evening during their 2-0 win over Bologna on Wednesday. After missing the 2-1 victory over Wolves due to illness, the 25-year-old returned to the starting XI to face the Serie A side, but he failed to impress throughout his time on the pitch.

With Diogo Jota out injured, Nunez started in a front three alongside Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz as the Reds looked to make it back-to-back victories in the Champions League. Alexis Mac Allister put Arne Slot's side in front during the first half before Salah added a second in the 75th minute to secure the three points.

Although it was a positive result for the Reds, Nunez struggled for the most part. He was involved in the first goal but it never felt like he was on the same wavelength as his teammates. Slot decided to substitute him in the 61st minute for Diogo Jota - a player in which Nunez is competing against for the No.9 berth.

With this in mind, should Slot stick or twist with Nunez? Here, our Liverpool ECHO writers discuss whether he should be first-choice, a squad player or even be sold in the January transfer window?

Joe Rimmer

Should Arne Slot stick or twist with Darwin Nunez? The truth is, he doesn't have to do either. The Uruguayan is another important member of Liverpool's squad and will have his moments this season, and while he's clearly a polarising figure, there's absolutely no need to panic right now.

Slot is still getting to know his squad and while it seems as though Diogo Jota currently feels as though he's the more favoured of the two, there will be plenty of games for Nunez to feature and he'll certainly be crucial if Liverpool are to achieve anything this season.

It may be hard to get away from the fee Liverpool paid for Nunez but it's sure that Slot and his staff won't be thinking about that at all when they pick their team. If anything, the focus on every Nunez performance is distracting from the good that Slot has done with his team so far and if results continue they way they are, it really doesn't matter if he scores 10 or 30 this season.

A decision on his future can be made next summer but Liverpool shouldn't entertain selling him or anyone capable of contribution this season in the January window.

Kieran King

Right now, Arne Slot's first-choice front three has to be: Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, Mohamed Salah. The trio have been in fine fettle this season and that does feel like his best combination, despite Cody Gakpo's impressive performance against West Ham in the Carabao Cup and Darwin Nunez pushing for a starting spot.

Yes, there is no doubt going to be opportunities for Nunez to impress from the start as the Reds face an increased fixture load due to more Champions League matches, but he might have to settle to being a bit-part player at times. This might frustrate the forward, but I don't think Slot can afford not to start Diaz, Jota and Salah.

Taking that and everything else into consideration, could there be a possibility that Nunez and Liverpool part ways in January? I think so. The Reds are unlikely to fetch near the £64million they paid for him from Benfica two years ago, but if they can get at least £40m/£50m it might be worth it.

Amie Wilson

The extended Champions League, plus domestic cup competitions means that Nunez is bound to get more chances to impress throughout the season, but for now he might have to settle for being second choice behind Diogo Jota.

However, with Jota being the only other natural striker in the squad, Nunez should get a decent amount of game time. He will hope to impress in the minutes he gets on the pitch, and Arne Slot will be hoping that is the case.

If Nunez does continue to struggle then Liverpool will have a decision to make when the January window opens. But they will not get anywhere near the price they paid for the Uruguayan just two years ago, the club would also have to then bring in a replacement to provide competition and a rotation option for Jota.

I think the best thing to do is to try and give Nunez more time to try and recapture his form. The hectic fixture list could give him plenty of chances to do that.

Isaac Johnson

While Nunez has enjoyed two years at Liverpool, a new manager brings a new mindset and so it becomes a game of wait-and-see this season. Some may argue he is on a final-trial status but Fenway Sports Group won't want to dismiss an £64m recruit ahead of time. Nunez is still 25.

The problem last season was that, although it was his most prolific campaign for the Reds so far, he scored just once after March. It's clear Slot deems him as second fiddle to Diogo Jota, rather than a competitor for his spot.

Just three starts so far, only one of which has come in the Premier League, tells the story. There is less pressure for Slot to use Nunez given he was a Jurgen Klopp signing and not his own. So Nunez must prove himself once more and show he can usurp Jota while starting as a rotation player.

It is not necessarily crunch time for Nunez regarding his Liverpool future, but if he wants to become a line-up regular again then he has to start improving his one goal in seven outings ratio. If he is unhappy with his current role and does not deliver then summer chats may be had.

Mark Wakefield

There has been attention surrounding Darwin Nunez ever since he first arrived at Liverpool. What didn't help the Uruguayan was he was signed in the same transfer window as Erling Haaland joining Manchester City the summer after both clubs achieved 90-plus point seasons in the Premier League.

Every now and then there have been moments of brilliance that show Nunez to be among the best strikers in the world - the strike against Bournemouth in recent memory, for example. Others, like the offside goal against Bologna, highlight the need for improvement and need to work on some aspects of his game.

Slot likes control from all of the 11 players he selects, and while Nunez has a game-defining moment in his locker he does not have consistency on his side in the same way Diogo Jota does. Jota is the first-choice striker at Liverpool, and Nunez is more than healthy competition, but it will take a lengthy run of impressive performances and goalscoring to dislodge the Portugal international from the centre-forward spot.

Keifer MacDonald

It's difficult to recall a player in Liverpool's recent history that has split opinion quite like Darwin Nunez. Take Wednesday's Champions League triumph over Bologna for example, where detractors were keen to stress the fact that Nunez had failed to add the one goal he has scored for the Reds since April.

Arne Slot, meanwhile, was quick to try and challenge that narrative as he explained why the striker's game time this season - or the lack of it - should act as an explanation as to why the Uruguay international is yet to find his feet under the Dutchman.

However, Nunez is not alone in experiencing teething problems in the Slot era, with Luis Diaz, Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo largely assuming the goal-scoring responsibility for the Reds in the opening nine games of the season.

But with Slot enjoying a historic start to life at Anfield as Wednesday night's 2-0 dispatch of the Serie A outfit saw him become the first manager in the Reds' history to win eight of his first nine games, the pantomime discourse surrounding Nunez doesn't need to take centre stage this season.

Liverpool, of course, will soon want to see some kind of return on the £64m they shelled out to bring Nunez to Anfield two years ago. But the idea of the striker's future at the club will decided less than eight weeks into the new season - while a new manager implements his ideas - is an unrealistic one.

As it stands, Liverpool will play at least 40 more games this season and it will not be until then that Slot has a better understanding of Nunez.

There is still plenty of life left in his Anfield career.

Richard Garnett

I've made no secret of the fact that I don't think Darwin Nunez is up to the job of being a regular Liverpool striker and aside from a lovely goal against Bournemouth, I've not seen too much to change my mind on that position so far this season. Having said that, I've not seen that much of the Uruguayan full-stop as the new manager has limited his minutes on the pitch.

Arne Slot made a good point in his press conference on Friday when he addressed that fact that Liverpool have not scored many goals from a central striking position full stop this season. But whilst that also leaves Diogo Jota culpable (and those creating the chances), the Portuguese can offset that statistic by evidence of excellent build-up play - something Nunez seems to struggle with. He's certainly no expert at holding the ball up or holding off big centre-backs either.

With so many games to play this season, he will of course keep getting chances and I hope for his sake that he can grasp them. I don't see Slot pushing him out of the door in January but next summer could be a different story. The Dutchman's powder will remain dry because he never made the signing in the first place and even if the club only recouped, say, two thirds of the initial fee they paid for him I think they could find a more-than capable replacement from within the Premier League already. Maybe he'll prove me wrong, but I wouldn't bet on it.

Story Saved
You can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.