NEWS. . . BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT
Jurgen Klopp is not on the cards with Liverpool’s recruitment team over the signing of Darwin Nunez, with the club preferring a resolution for an existing Chelsea striker, according to reports.
Nunez joined Liverpool from Benfica in the summer of 2022 on a deal worth £85 million, but has spent his time at Anfield intensely and bloodlessly.
The Uruguayan has 11 goals in the Premier League, so this season he has still been criticised for his profligacy, most recently in Liverpool’s 2-0 defeat to Everton, which dealt a major blow to the Reds’ hopes.
Nunez missed an excellent attempt to equalise after Jarrad Branthwaite’s opener but fired straight past Jordan Pickford before Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s second-half header secured all three points for Sean Dyche’s side.
And now, according to The Times, it has been discovered that the signing of Nunez was driven by Klopp, with the club’s recruitment team preferring a move for current Chelsea striker Christopher Nkunku.
Nkunku enjoyed a prolific Bundesliga career with RB Leipzig before joining Chelsea for £53m this summer.
However, the Frenchman’s first season at Stamford Bridge has been marred by injuries, with the 26-year-old not having long stints due to shoulder, hip and hamstring issues.
With Klopp’s departure this summer, former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher believes the new manager will have to make a decision when it comes to the unpredictable Nunez.
“I think it’s a question that needs to be asked,” Carragher told Sky Sports after Liverpool’s defeat to Everton last Wednesday.
“He’s the one who succeeds because he gives everything, he reasons the problems, he scores some goals.
“But after two years, when Liverpool are looking for the name or the big games, you want your guy to score at Old Trafford or Goodison Park. It’s the end of business. He’s paralyzed.
“After two years, there won’t be any improvement in it. It is what it is. It can cause problems, but it’s inconsistent in its results; It’s not enough to win trophies, so you have to make a big resolution about it. “
Put us in your feed