Liverpool's summer additions added real depth and quality to the squad, but several high-profile outgoings have also left the team lacking in certain areas. The impact has been seen on the pitch this season
16:19, 21 Jan 2026
Darwin Nunez has impressed Arne Slot with his recent performances for Liverpool
Peter Schmeichel has claimed Liverpool has lost significant defensive output from the sales of Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz(Image: Getty Images)
Former Manchester United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel has claimed Liverpool’s issues this season have partly arisen from the summer departures of Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz, and the impact they had out of possession.
The duo were among the swathe of summer departures before the 2025/26 campaign, with Diaz joining Bayern Munich and Nunez signing for Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal.
In their absence, the replacements of Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz have not had an immediate impact, although the latter is beginning to find his feet, and fellow summer addition Hugo Ekitike has adapted quickly to the pace of the Premier League.
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But it’s not the offensive output Schmeichel feels Liverpool are missing from the exits of Diaz and Nunez, but the South American duo’s work rate and defensive output.
“When you lose players like Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez – just to use those two as examples – you lose a very aggressive press from the front,” the Dane told Sky Bet.
“They press high, they press aggressively, and that helps you win the ball in midfield or even higher up the pitch.
“It stops the ball from dropping into midfield and then forcing your back four to deal with everything. So, when those players are missing, it changes how you defend and where you win the ball back.
Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez of Liverpool celebrate with Premier League trophy
Diaz and Nunez left Liverpool as Premier League champions(Image: Getty Images)
“That’s a big shift. And to be clear: they haven’t defended differently this season compared to last season.
“The system is the same. It’s still high risk, still a high line, still defending with [Virgil] van Dijk running towards goal, winning balls, and covering space. That hasn’t changed.
“What’s changed is the pressure in front of them – and that changes the type of situations they face. It’s mostly an adjustment.
“Once the players settle and the new pieces gel, the quality they’ve brought in – combined with the quality they already had – will make them a force again under Arne Slot.
Peter Schmeichel
Schmeichel feels Liverpool are weaker without Diaz and Nunez(Image: Getty Images)
“It’s not that they aren’t a good team now – they are. But then you add injuries to key players, and it disrupts everything.
“You also see it in little partnerships around the pitch,” added Schmeichel, who won five league titles at Old Trafford during his distinguished career.
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“Take Mo Salah, for example. For years he’s played in front of Trent [Alexander-Arnold], and that partnership has been brilliant – very effective. Trent learned how to give Salah the right kind of space.
“Now, Salah has a different player behind him who may not understand that relationship yet, and suddenly Salah can look slightly out of the game. That’s not just on the player behind him – Salah also must adjust to a new way of playing.”