Contractual uncertainties form the central narrative of Liverpool’s campaign. The din surpasses that of Arne Slot’s remarkable achievements across the opening months of his tenure.
It also supersedes the individual success stories dotted across the Liverpool first-team squad. That of Ryan Gravenberch, whose rise this season has established him as one of Europe’s most in-form midfielders.
That of skipper Virgil van Dijk, who has long been regarded as one of the finest centre-backs of his generation, but is playing some of the finest football of his distinguished career
And that of Darwin Nunez, whose resurgence has been of a lesser merit, but one that holds positive signs nonetheless. Still, perhaps Nunez’s improvements are better served away from the loudest noise on Merseyside.
Darwin Nunez's start to life at Liverpool
Nunez has had a... patchy start to life in Liverpool, having arrived off the back of a fee that could rise to a club-record £85m, with 34 goals from 41 appearances in his final season with Benfica. Two of those goals came against Liverpool in the Champions League, with three more bagged against Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
Though the Uruguayan’s movement and application have made him an impressive asset in regard to attacking link-up play, invariably a nuisance for opponents, his good work has too often been negated by wayward finishing.
You must only take a look at Nunez’s numbers in the Premier League, across his three campaigns so far, to understand that he has much work to do before he can call himself one of the finest and most reliable strikers on the continent.
2022/23
29 (19)
9
20
2023/24
36 (22)
11
27
2024/25
5 (1)
1
0
But there’s enough there to suggest that he can be a success under Slot’s wing, having made headway over recent weeks.
Why Darwin Nunez could succeed under Arne Slot
Nunez is 25 years old, and should now be approaching the cusp of his prime. What is his prime? Will Nunez need to become a 30-goal-per-season striker, year in, year out, to earn acclaim as one of the Premier League’s finest?
Or will he simply need to refine the rusty levels of his multi-layered skillset to turn attention away from some deficiencies? Every player has deficiencies: Erling Haaland is not the most effective when isolated, though that, admittedly, is nit-picking.
There is just cause to stick with Nunez as Anfield’s focal frontman, something that he has not been across the opening months, with Slot favouring Diogo Jota.
But injuries creep up on Jota like the tide, an inexorable part of the prolific forward’s make-up. He’s out of action at the moment, and thus Nunez has been provided with starting berths against Chelsea and RB Leipzig recently, expected to start against title rivals Arsenal at the weekend too.
The fact that Nunez has yet to miss a defined ‘big chance’ in the top flight under Slot says something, even if he’s only scored one goal and started one time.
With two goals and one assist in all competitions, there’s room for improvement, but he needs only look at former Liverpool talent Dominic Solanke to register the notion that he’s coming along, and may yet reach his zenith as a Red.
Dominic Solanke's market value in 24/25
Solanke began his professional career as a prospect of a Chelsea persuasion but was cut loose given the congested nature of the Cobham Academy, and thus Liverpool snapped the teenager up on a free transfer in 2017.
Jurgen Klopp clearly saw something of value in the centre-forward, for he was provided with a regular first-team role throughout the 2017/18 season, completing 27 appearances across all competitions, playing a small role in the Reds’ journey toward the Champions League final, albeit ending in defeat against Real Madrid.
He didn’t score until the final game of the Premier League campaign, however, despite averaging one shot per game. He had much to learn, and moving to a club of a lesser stature felt like the right move to progress his career.
Liverpool must have been delighted when Bournemouth came along in January 2019 and offered a £19m fee to take him off their hands.
The England international, now 27, completed six seasons on the South Coast across two divisions, but it was the 2023/24 term that saw him rise to a new level, posting 21 goals from 42 appearances and convincing Tottenham Hotspur to launch ahead with a bid.
And so in August, the imposing striker finally returned to one of the Premier League’s biggest hitters in a transfer worth £65m, which marks a 242% rise from the fee that the Cherries paid to take him from Liverpool. The Reds will hardly be rueful, for they were entitled to a sizeable sell-on clause as a part of their sale way back when.
Long regarded as a high-class talent, with The Athletic’s Jacob Tanswell hailing him as a “top, multi-faceted forward” during his Bournemouth days, Solanke is now blending his athletic prowess with a reliable focal threat, scoring three goals and adding two assists across eight starting appearances as a Lilywhite.
That is something that Nunez must look to emulate, though he’s not quite so heavyset, Liverpool’s talent has won 1.8 tackles per game in the top flight this term, as per Sofascore, while also winning 52% of his ground duels, up from 36% during his maiden year.
Solanke stands as a shining example of a forward who appeared to have been thrown by the wayside during the early phase of his Premier League career, but one who has doggedly pursued prominence and been rewarded with a move to a top-performing club, this time as a marquee man.
He’s been recalled to the Three Lions senior set-up in recent months and looks comfortable in the hole that Spurs legend Harry Kane left when he departed for Bayern Munich in 2023. He’s proven the fact that time and application in the rigorous Premier League can bear dividends for those tenacious enough to keep on driving forward (that’s a trait that Nunez carries with a firm grip).
Nunez can take a leaf from his book and is perhaps doing so. Given that Solanke is now worth some 242% more than the fee that Liverpool collected for him back in 2019, it’s safe to say he’s tapped into his lofty potential.
Can Liverpool’s South American sensation now do the same?
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