Darwin Nunez is probably the second most talked about Liverpool player after Mohamed Salah. Interestingly, the future of the players is also actively discussed. But if the Egyptian’s performances are admired, then with the Uruguayan it is the opposite. Nunez is already in his third season with Liverpool, but he can’t prove himself. Sometimes he gives good matches, sometimes he can even score a double, but these are only glimpses of the performance that was expected of him. And now, when the “reds” are being pulled by the already elderly Salah, the question of the future of the 25-year-old striker becomes especially relevant.
Nunez moved to the Merseysiders in the summer of 2022. Liverpool are not always big spenders, but they did manage to splash out €85m on a young and promising striker. Darwin had previously enjoyed a strong season at Benfica, scoring 26 goals in the Portuguese league. The Reds were not fazed by the fact that the player had only had one such strong campaign. Sadio Mane had left the Merseyside club at the time and they needed a new player. The Uruguayan is not a direct replacement for the Senegalese, but he was expected to do what was required of him first and foremost – score goals. And after the forward scored a goal and assisted on his Premier League debut against Fulham, it seemed that Liverpool had made the right move.
However, in the very next game against Crystal Palace, Nunez was sent off and missed three matches. This sometimes happens when a player really wants to prove himself or when it is difficult to cope with emotions. Darwin is still full of energy and a desire to help the team, but this rarely translates into effective actions. In his first season, he scored 9 goals in 29 Premier League matches. Not enough considering the amount paid for him. It is clear that a young guy needs time to adapt, but when such a status club as Liverpool makes a record transfer in its history, everyone expects such a player to immediately benefit the team.
Nunez spent his second season a little better, recording 11 goals and 8 assists, but this was still not enough. The point is not even that Darwin scored little, but that he often did not use the chances he had. The Uruguayan became the second best scorer of the “Reds” according to the results of the last campaign. It is not at all shameful to give way to Salah in the race for such a prestigious title. But the problem is that, according to analysts, the forward could have scored at least 20 goals if he had converted his chances at least 12% better. But the Merseysiders generally did not have the best last campaign, so the striker could again be forgiven for some mistakes, because he really tried.
This season, Liverpool looks solid. The “Reds” are the best team in the Premier League and the Champions League at the moment. Many admire how quickly the new Merseyside coach Arne Slot got down to business and how the players are progressing. However, Nunez is not included in this list. Darwin, as before, scores few goals and misses many. This season he has only 2 goals in the Premier League and 1 goal scored in the Champions League. These are catastrophically low figures for half a season for a player who plays on the edge of the attack. And it cannot be said that he has few chances. In the current campaign, the Uruguayan should have scored 4 more goals, according to the expected goals system. However, the Liverpool forward has converted only 7% of his shots this season. This is a very weak threat in front of the opponent’s goal.
Slot supports Nunez, at least publicly, stating that Darwin still benefits the team. He really does well without the ball and does the work that strikers prefer not to do. But the forward is evaluated primarily by his effective actions, and here he has everything at a consistently low level. Since moving to Liverpool, his conversion rate is only 11.48%. This is the lowest rate among all the strikers from the top 5 European leagues who have scored 30 or more goals during this period. Nunez needs an average of 9 shots per match to score 1 goal. This is an unacceptable luxury for a top-level striker.
Nunez can miss 10 shots or score with his first touch. He can either lead the team with his energy or substitute it, earning a card (not just a yellow). Darwin’s low performance is also compounded by a lack of consistency. This is not a very good combination for a top club striker. Sooner or later, Salah will have a decline, or he will leave the Reds at the end of the season. Someone in that case has to lead the Merseyside attack. And it is very doubtful that Nunez will be that leader.