Stan Collymore believes Liverpool should replace Darwin Nunez with Alexander Isak but defended the Uruguayan’s record at the Merseyside club. Collymore highlighted that Nunez has struggled against the pressure of performing consistently at Liverpool despite having a decent contribution record.
The Reds recently lost the Carabao Cup final to Isak’s Newcastle United after suffering elimination from the Champions League competition. Liverpool faced the same problem during the latter stages of the last season under the legendary former manager Jurgen Klopp.
This season, under Arne Slot, the Reds succumbed to the same problems as many attackers failed to produce good performances. Nunez has come under scrutiny for missing clear-cut chances and that has only built more pressure on him this season.
Liverpool star Darwin Nunez has failed to solidify the starting role under Arne Slot.
Liverpool star Darwin Nunez has failed to solidify the starting role under Arne Slot.
The 25-year-old missed the critical penalty against Paris Saint-Germain during the eventual shootout, leading to the elimination. Nunez has retaliated to the online criticism many times with the pressure and negative emotions getting the better of him.
Nevertheless, the Reds fanbase has unconditionally backed the player with many hoping that he could solely focus on his supporters. That being said, the Uruguayan is now in the third season at Liverpool and with the cycle continuously repeating itself, many expect him to leave next summer in a deal that is mutually beneficial for both the player and the club.
In his column for CaughtOffside, Collymore highlighted the pressure that is continuously building on the Uruguayan, forcing him to fail. He wrote:
“Darwin Nunez arrived at Liverpool as a very confident player, and now he looks too robotic – and that is probably because of the pressure that he is under at Anfield, which is a complete kettle of fish compared to what he experienced at Benfica. He just does not look confident, composed or relaxed, even if his goal output is not as bad as many people make it out to be. And the longer that this pressure remains, the harder it will become for him, and it has already started to affect his decision-making on the pitch, and especially in front of goal.
Nunez has definitely been affected by his Liverpool experience, and I think that he should leave – simply put, he is not up to the standards needed at Liverpool, which can be very unforgiving. My record at Liverpool is often looked down upon, and I had 50 goal contributions in 89 appearances! And the problem for Nunez is that he is being compared against the great Liverpool strikers, such as Ian Rush, Fernando Torres, Luis Suarez, Michael Owen… and of course, he is a massive disappointment when lined up against them.”
Collymore added that Liverpool should sign Isak from Newcastle to replace Nunez in a deal that benefits everyone. He said:
“Isak would be a massive upgrade on Nunez. His all-round play is what Liverpool need in a striker, and in my opinion, I think it could benefit Newcastle to take Nunez. There is certainly a player in there, but he is not someone that can handle player for a club like Liverpool that brings so much scrutiny and pressure. He would be a really good fit at Newcastle, and their supporters would love him.”
While the swap deal is highly unlikely, Liverpool should target a player of Isak’s profile that fits Slot’s style. The Liverpool boss has preferred Diogo Jota as the number nine due to his finishing ability but he has struggled.
The Portuguese international also has limitations in his overall influence as he struggles with hold-up play and linkup. Isak is a complete package, capable of holding his own as a lone number nine and acting as an outlet.
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It remains to be seen whether Liverpool targets Isak or someone else but the potential of Nunez leaving is massive. Apart from Nunez, other inconsistent players in the attack department are also under scrutiny with a massive summer window ahead.