The Uruguay hero tells Arne Slot he can unlock Darwin Nunez at Liverpool with one move

Uruguay legend Gus Poyet believes Liverpool must secure Darwin Nunez in his main striker role to unlock his Uruguayan form at Anfield.

Nunez, who made a big move to Liverpool in 2022 for a potential record fee, has scored 33 times in 96 appearances for the Reds. Despite that number, his second season saw a 10-game stretch without finding the back of the net, which raised eyebrows.

However, when he dons the sky blue of Uruguay, Nunez’s skill is undeniable. He scored a hat-trick against Mexico in a friendly and added two more during the Copa America, where Uruguay reached the semi-finals before bowing out amid a heated clash with Colombia.

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With an impressive international strike rate leading the South American World Cup qualifying scoring charts, Nunez’s club form is still catching up. Poyet, a former midfield maestro for Chelsea and Spurs and a Copa America champion himself, believes he knows what it takes for Nunez to thrive at Liverpool.

“From the outside, not knowing what’s going on inside, the difference for me now is that when he goes to Uruguay he knows he’s number nine,” Poyet shared with Mirror Football. “There is no other. It doesn’t matter if Luis Suarez is in the team or not, the number nine is Darwin Nunez.

“I think from the outside, when he’s at Liverpool he doesn’t know if he’s number nine. One day it looks like this and the next week it doesn’t, then midweek no, then yes for three games and then no (again).

“I think sometimes certain players – again, from the outside, unknowingly – have to have that feeling of ‘I’m number nine, I’m going to play, I’m going to score 25 goals’ and that’s what they do with the national team, I think he had an extra confidence and security that he will play all the time.”

Nunez’s failure to capitalize on key opportunities at crucial stages last season hurt Liverpool’s title chase under Jurgen Klopp, resulting in a third-placed finish in the gaffer’s final tenure. Now, under the reins of Arne Slot, there are calls for discerning decision-making.

Liverpool are fully equipped in the attacking department, with Nunez, Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo set to join the team after the international breaks. Goalscorer Gakpo returns after scoring three times at Euro 2024 – securing him a share of the coveted Golden Boot – while Diogo Jota is keen to score more game time after an injury-plagued spell last season.

Mohamed Salah has already shown his skills to new boss Slot during the pre-season games. However, with Salah’s contract set to expire next summer, Slot could consider backing Nunez as a potential successor.

“I watched him a lot in the first year, I watched him a lot last year,” added Poyet. “I thought he improved at many times last year, but again Liverpool were playing too many games, they were in every competition, he had to change.

“It’s natural — you have a lot of players, everyone wants to do a little bit. In Uruguay it is different. Every three months or two months he goes there, two games, bang! He plays, 90 minutes. And that’s what I think for him, his characteristics and his mentality, he seems to be great.

“So can he do something similar at Liverpool or another club, be that player to play number nine? To return to Chelsea – 10 years ago, who is the number nine? It’s Drogba. If we play Real Madrid, it’s Drogba and If we play Bayern Munich, it’s Drogba and the feeling of being the player to play those games, I think it works well for Darwin.

Liverpool.com says: Nunez gets into good enough positions to make you think he might kick and explode. This will be an important season for him though; after two years, he needs that growth to come sooner rather than later.