For a high-profile arrival at Anfield, Darwin Nunez has evaded much of the spotlight in his debut campaign. While certain points in the season have highlighted his quality and promise, others serve as a reminder that the Uruguayan must refine aspects of his game if he’s to fully realize that potential. The verdict on whether he’ll succeed as a Liverpool player thus remains unclear at the moment.
What is quite clear, however, is that if Nunez can maximize his undeniable talent, he’ll prove an invaluable asset for Liverpool in the years to come. His pace, work rate, and ability to carry the ball forward quickly have all sparked his side in the final third at times this season and will continue to amplify the Reds’ threat up top. With further development of both his finishing and understanding of his teammates and of Klopp’s instructions, the Uruguayan can establish himself as one of the best forwards on the planet.
However, Nunez’s potential alone will not guarantee him a place in Klopp’s first XI as the returns of Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz from injury on top of the January addition of Cody Gakpo will fuel heavy competition for the Uruguayan. Jota has already excelled both through the middle and on the left and looks back to his best following a lengthy layoff with an impressive goal count of late. Meanwhile, Diaz has started three of Liverpool’s last four matches while Gakpo has eased into the false-nine role.
When Liverpool first purchased Nunez, its intention was to field him in his natural position as a center forward, but while the former Benfica man has started his fair share of matches there, Klopp has mostly played him on the left wing since Gakpo’s arrival. If Liverpool are to see the best from Nunez in the following campaigns, Klopp will need to identify which of the two positions most suits him to extract the Uruguayan’s finest qualities for his set up.
Klopp’s immense success with Bobby Firmino in the false-nine role at the height of his Liverpool reign could well influence his approach with Nunez. Firmino’s importance to Klopp’s side stemmed from his movement to drag defenders out of position to free up space for Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah and his relentless pressing as the first line of the Reds’ defense. Though certainly a reliable finisher, goal scoring was a secondary responsibility outsourced primarily to the boots of those on either side of the Brazilian in Liverpool’s front three.
Klopp’s choice to play Gakpo through the middle since his move in January despite the Dutchman’s natural position as a winger suggests that he aims to maintain a similar style of play up top. Firmino has reportedly helped to instruct Gakpo on what the false nine role requires in Klopp’s set up ahead of his departure from Anfield this summer and if those reports are accurate, his advice has certainly paid off. Gakpo has already formed a solid link with Salah and has tallied six league goals and two assists since his arrival.
Nunez, on the other hand, fits a very different and far more conventional mold of a forward. The former-Benfica man is most dangerous utilizing his pace and physicality to both beat defenders and hold up play until support arrives in the final third. While he covets a central role up top, a position on the left wing may best permit him to play off his strongest attributes in Klopp’s system and that is arguably where he’s been most menacing this season.
Though Nunez has not immediately met the hopes Liverpool harbor for him, he has exhibited enough quality to earn the patience and affection of the club’s supporters. Klopp has described him as a long term project. His ability to nurture Nunez’s growth not only as an individual player, but into one who can meet the demands of his system is ultimately what will determine whether that project fails or succeeds.