Liverpool manager Arne Slot has admitted he has struggled to find a way to maximize striker Darwin Nunez amid the surge the speculation about his future at Anfield.
An £85million signing in the summer of 2022, Núñez has struggled to hold down a permanent role in Slot’s line-up, starting just seven times in the Premier League this season and netting four goals in 26 appearances in all competitions .
Reports have linked Núñez with a move away from Liverpoolwith Al Hilal and even Manchester United leaned in to test the Reds’ resolveand Slot has now confessed that the 25-year-old is not a natural fit for his preferred style of play.
“Darwin is a forward that we have to use in a certain way and we haven’t been able to get the best out of him yet this season,” Slot said.
“Against Accrington Stanley again you saw he has a lot of pace but unfortunately for him most teams sit a lot against us. If you look back at the goals he scored for us, I remember against (Aston) Villa when he rounded the keeper on a counter-attack, that’s his main strength.
“He’s got other qualities as well, but we’re still working on getting him in the best possible positions against a low block. That involves the right timing, the right crosses, the right position to start and make the right run.”
Slot, however, defended Núñez’s disappointing return in front of goal by arguing that teams defend in greater numbers against Liverpool than against other rivals.
“The way teams defend our No. 9 is something you have to give them credit for,” Slot said. “It’s never, ‘Here Darwin, you can score.’ Every time we focus I see a defender all over him. I see it, the referees unfortunately don’t.
“For us, it’s generally harder to score against a team like (Nottingham) Forest because every time we had a chance they had six, seven, eight, nine or ten players in the 18-yard box.
“And the one time (Chris) Wood had a chance to be there almost all by himself. We weren’t very close to the ball. They only had one chance, we had 15. But with the 15 that we always had someone near the ball or one of our players, Darwin will score his goals and do it again.
