Liverpool: £140k-a-week star now a 'totally different player' at Anfield

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·26 September 2023

Liverpool: £140k-a-week star now a 'totally different player' at Anfield

Highlights

Darwin Núñez's improved performances for Liverpool this season can be credited to his increased defensive work and better coordination within the team.
Jurgen Klopp recognized Núñez's potential after facing him at Benfica and made him a priority signing for Liverpool.
In the event that Mohamed Salah leaves next summer, Liverpool has identified a Premier League-proven winger as a potential replacement due to his topflight experience and impressive stats.

Liverpool forward Darwin Núñez has been key in Liverpool’s impressive start to the 2023/24 domestic campaign and transfer insider Dean Jones has revealed the reason behind his drastic improvement, while speaking to GIVEMESPORT.

Putting an insipid 2022/23 season behind them, Jurgen Klopp’s outfit have been on an industrious run of form since the new campaign kicked off.

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Signing for a club-record £85m, per Sky Sports, Liverpool placed a lot of hope on the now 24-year-old’s shoulders; however, in his first season, he didn’t exactly set England alight. Granted, he did manage 15 goals and four assists across 42 games in all competitions, but it was the intangible aspects of his game which put him under much scrutiny from pundits and fans alike.

He looks an entirely different players this time around, however, having registered four goal contributions (3G, 1A) in six games thus far. And while his clinical nature in front of goal is evidently seeing improvements, he has turned into a much more technical, well-rounded asset for Klopp to have at his disposal.

Jurgen Klopp was on the receiving end of two fantastic Nunez goals during his time for Benfica the season before and knew from that point onwards that the young Uruguayan would be at the top of his summer 2022 shopping list. Now, after a season of tireless hard work, the German tactician has explained the alterations made that have produced the ‘main difference’ in Nunez’s performances (via Liverpool Echo).

“The defensive work he puts in is probably the main difference. He always wanted [to do it] but it was less co-ordinated. Now that looks much better.”

Despite being showered with praise by Reds chief Klopp, the £140k-a-week earner, has still been restricted in relation to his game time, having only featured for 221 minutes across six cameos in the league. Surely his impressive goal return in his constrained opportunities will warrant a place in the starting set-up sooner rather than later, though that being said, Klopp is blessed with an array of talent to choose from in an attacking sense.

Darwin Núñez now living up to his eye-watering £85m price tag – Dean Jones

When quizzed about the excitement surrounding the ever-flourishing partnership between Mohamed Salah and Nunez, transfer insider Jones suggested that the difference between the latter between last season and present day is more than impressive. He reeled off a list of issues he presented in 2022/23 but sung his praises to how he has performed in the early embers of this campaign.

“I mean Darwin Núñez looked a bit like a deer in the headlights when he joined Liverpool, and I’ve been very harsh on Nunez throughout his first season at Liverpool because his decision-making was dreadful, he was lashing out at things. “He didn’t suit the Liverpool style of play, but he’s had time now to fully understand what’s expected of the forwards, and he’s watched obviously Roberto Firmino, and he’s seen other players play centrally. “He’s also got an understanding of what Mohamed Salah expect from his forward partners and this season, we are genuinely seeing a totally different player.”

Liverpool identify £60m ace as primary Salah replacement

Respected journalist Ben Jacobs has recently given GIVEMESPORT the latest update on Salah’s future at the Merseysiders, claiming that there is a ‘realistic chance’ he could explore pastures new come next summer, much to the dismay of the Anfield loyal. The 31-year-old Egyptian has now entered his seventh season at the club and has put up eye-catching numbers in every season he has adorned the Liverpool threads.

But he could close the curtains of his Liverpool career next summer amid speculation of a potential switch away. The summer just gone, the club were, according to The Sun, offered a record-breaking £215m for his signature by reigning Saudi Pro League champions Al-Ittihad, who had already seen French duo Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kante join them prior to their bid for Salah.

Should Salah up and leave next summer, the German tactician Klopp has already begun mustering a contingency plan to alleviate the goalscoring prowess of his ever-reliable wide man. Transfer insider Jones told GIVEMESPORT that West Ham United winger Jarrod Bowen, described as ‘unbelievable’ by Klopp, is high up on their radar. Of course, no Liverpool fan in their right mind would want Salah to move on once the transfer window opens for business next summer, but a Premier League-proven option in the mould of Bowen would be an astute successor, that's for sure.