Darwin Nunez: Liverpool’s wrecking ball being wasted by confused Klopp

Sam McGuire

• 26 Mar 2023 17:07 BST
• 10 min read

Darwin Nunez was something of a statement signing for Liverpool in the summer.

The Reds parted with an initial €75 million to pry the Uruguay forward away from Benfica, pipping rivals Manchester United to the forward’s signature. The transfer fee could well rise to €100m if all the add-ons are paid and it would make the 23-year-old the club’s most expensive signing ever.

Following the announcement of the deal, manager Jurgen Klopp gave his thoughts to the official club website.

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“This is super news, really super news.

“He is as excited by us as we are by him, which makes for a great relationship when you appreciate each other’s strengths. That is certainly the case here. He thinks we suit him and we believe he is the right fit for us – so let’s do it. He has all the pieces we look for. He can set a tempo, he brings energy, he can threaten space from central and wide areas. He is aggressive and dynamic with his movement. He plays without fear, he’s powerful. I know he will excite our supporters.”

It appeared as though Klopp was all in on his new No.27.

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This move was put under the microscope a little more due to the nature of it. Others went for more money but Liverpool rarely spend over €50m on attackers. Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Diogo Jota all signed for similar fees while Cody Gakpo has since signed for the Reds for a reported €44m.

They made an exception for Darwin and there must’ve been a reason for it. He wasn’t necessarily going to be the poster boy of Liverpool 3.0 under Klopp but his arrival was seemingly integral to the switch. The Reds wanted a traditional centre-forward to replace the false-nine they had almost exclusively used since the German’s arrival on Merseyside.

Liverpool's new style with Darwin

The Reds tweaked their style to suit the former Benfica man. They went more direct in matches and had Mohamed Salah operating as more of a creator. At times it felt a little forced but to evolve as a team, sometimes the changes need to be drastic.

Darwin was used as a weapon off the bench in the Community Shield against Manchester City. He won the penalty and then added the third in the 3-1 win over Pep Guardiola’s side. He was again the difference maker in the season-opener against Fulham, coming off the bench to score and assist in the 2-2 draw.

His progress was stalled by the red card he picked up against Crystal Palace. He had to bide his time on the bench but then, when Klopp was forced to change the shape following a run of disappointing results, Darwin was back in the starting XI with the attack essentially being shaped to his strengths.

Liverpool kept chopping and changing their system and this had an impact on how the one-time Almeria man was used. For a period he was a sole centre-forward, then he was used in a two, and then he had a stint on the left side of a front three. It didn’t really matter where he was used, he was impacting the game and posting absurd averages.

He was a wrecking ball in the final third and he caused complete chaos. However, since the turn of the year, he’s looked a little off the pace and Klopp’s use of him has been confusing, to say the least.

The Reds reverted to their tried and tested false-nine system with Gakpo filling the Roberto Firmino role. This meant Darwin was exclusively used on the left. Though his output hasn’t dropped off - he has four goals and an assist in his last seven starts - he’s been nowhere near as effective in games.

Nunez vs Premier League strikers: Overall 2022/23

Furthermore, in matches Liverpool have needed a goal, Klopp has prematurely hauled off his No27. He was replaced after 57 minutes against Real Madrid with the score at 0-0. A game in which the Merseysiders needed three goals and Darwin was by far the biggest threat to Los Blancos. This happened just days after the 16-cap international was subbed off after 66 minutes in the defeat to Bournemouth. Again, Liverpool needed a goal and again, Darwin was the first attacker to be replaced.

In fact, in just one of his last five appearances has Darwin completed over 80 minutes.

He’s been excluded from the Uruguay squad for this international break due to an unknown injury and this has resulted in fans pondering whether or not he’s been carrying a knock. However, there’s been no mention of this and when Klopp explained his reasoning for replacing Darwin against Real Madrid, he cited something tactical, saying: “Darwin looked like he was not on the absolute top level and then we need to defend that side as well because conceding a goal is not helpful in that situation. We can change there, that's why we did it.”

The Reds invested heavily in Darwin and originally tried to shape the attack around him. Now he’s essentially being shoehorned into an XI in a role that doesn’t suit him, and he’s being judged, and often criticised, on those performances.