Sean Dundee shares his thoughts on Darwin Nunez, Harvey Elliott and Liverpool's title-hopes in an exclusive interview with the ECHO
Darwin Nunez of Liverpool during a training session at AXA Training Centre
Darwin Nunez of Liverpool during a training session at AXA Training Centre
(Image: 2025 Liverpool FC)
Darwin Nunez looks set to leave Liverpool this summer after another difficult season at Anfield. The Uruguayan found himself out of favour under new head coach Arne Slot following the Dutchman’s appointment as Jurgen Klopp’s successor.
Starting only 17 of his 48 appearances, Nunez scored just seven goals. And, as has been the case throughout his Reds career, he faced criticism in some sections for his form in front of goal following a number of glaring misses.
Even when first choice under Klopp, the striker has regularly faced such scrutiny throughout his time on Merseyside. While he has scored 40 goals in 143 appearances for Liverpool, he has also missed 55 big chances from 95 Premier League outings.
Nunez is now expected to move on and is subject of interest from the likes of Napoli, Atletico Madrid and Saudi Arabia.
But former Liverpool forward Sean Dundee admits he sympathises with the forward.
The former striker joined the Reds in a £2m deal from Karlsruher SC in the summer of 1998, having established himself as a prolific goalscorer in the Bundesliga. Yet he flopped at Anfield and is widely regarded as one of the club’s worst buys.
And aware he might have faced similar backlash to Nunez during his own playing days if social media had existed, Dundee defended the under-fire frontman.
“He has still scored a lot of goals!” Dundee insisted in an exclusive interview with the ECHO, speaking on behalf of ‘Top online casinos in the UK’. “He played a lot of games.
“I do feel for the boy, you know, because he gets a lot of stick. Doesn't matter where you look, if it's on Instagram and Facebook.
“I was just lucky, I suppose. If I was in those days, if there was Instagram, I would have really been hammered!
“But I feel sorry for him a little bit. I think he's a quality player, but maybe it just didn't work out. It just hasn't worked out.
“But still he scored some important goals, and he's a hard worker. What I do like is that, even though he does miss a few chances, he doesn't give up. He just keeps on going and going.”
Liverpool have been linked with a number of strikers already this summer, including Newcastle United star Alexander Isak.
Dundee thinks the Swede would be a good signing for the Reds. But he has also backed Eintracht Frankfurt forward Hugo Ekitike, having seen the Frenchman develop in Germany courtesy of his own role as a co-commentator on the Bundesliga world feed.
“I've been reading from Newcastle, Isak,” he pondered. “He’s also a quality player. There's a few good strikers around.
“Hugo Ekitike is also a very good player. Frankfurt, what they've done over the years, they've always had really good strikers, and they're always losing them! But he's also a very, very good striker. But we’ll have to wait and see.”
Meanwhile, admitting his surprise at the Reds’ transfer business so far, Dundee also urged Slot to resist selling Harvey Elliott.
“I'm really surprised the way Liverpool have gone around the transfer window this summer,” he admitted. “They're really signing some good players.
“I think they've made a great start with what they've done in the transfer market. Keeping Salah was very important.
“It was very important that they kept Virgil van Dijk too. I think the team is looking a lot better this season than they did last season, even though they won the league.
“Arne Slot knows what he’s doing. I’m just excited, I think he knows as well that Liverpool have to hit the ground running. They have to get a good start and stay up there from the beginning.
“Another thing, I’ve been watching Harvey Elliott this summer. Boy! I've been seeing that they're thinking about letting him go. That would be a mistake. The boy is really, really good, so I hope they keep him as well.”
Having seen Liverpool win the Premier League last season, Dundee is expecting the Reds to challenge for the title again this year and also go strong in the Champions League.
And while he predicted that Manchester City would re-emerge as Liverpool’s main title rivals, the former Reds striker was also dismissive of Arsenal’s chances.
“I believe they can (win the league again),” he said. “I don’t think that City’s going to have a slow start like they did last season.
“I think some other clubs are going to get off to good starts, and Liverpool have to stay up there from the beginning.
“I thought it was really harsh the way they went out of the Champions League this year. I thought they were one of the best. I thought Liverpool and Barca were the two best teams in the Champions League last season. Obviously PSG winning it, in the end they were really good.
“But I think next season they really have a team. A little bit more depth, and I'm sure they can go further in Europe too.
“Next season is going to be a lot more difficult. I think City is going to probably be the toughest opponents with them. Arsenal, I don't worry about them. And Manchester United even less!”