Former Liverpool midfielder Luis Garcia has urged Jurgen Klopp to start Darwin Nunez next season.
Nunez wasn’t always in Liverpool’s first XI last year, as he struggled to get to grips with English football. With Cody Gakpo and Diogo Jota both waiting in the wings, his place in the team for 2023/24 is far from assured.
But speaking on ESPN FC yesterday, Garcia claimed that the Uruguayan could explode if given a full season with Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah.
“I would have him in the starting XI,” said the Spaniard. “I think when Darwin arrived at Liverpool it was a very tough moment for the Liverpool team. In the middle of the park, not working, at the back, not working, at the front so many players missing because of injuries.
“I think now Darwin Nunez knows how the team works, now he knows what to deal with in the Premier League. With that experience with a team now with Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Fabinho in the right position, I think that he can give a lot of things to Liverpool.
“I could see him playing as a first in the line-up. He could be a very good number nine with Luis Diaz and Salah on the wide areas. I think he could be a player who can score more than 15 goals this season, so I would play him.”
Garcia backs Darwin to come good
The consensus among Liverpool fans right now seems to be that Gakpo will start ahead of Nunez next season.
Although at £64m he’s one of the Reds biggest signings ever, his star fell quite considerably through the second part of last year.
Gakpo looks a much more natural fit, while Darwin hasn’t yet found his perfect position in Klopp’s system.
As Garcia points out though, that could easily change. Before Diaz’s injury in October last year, he and Nunez had started to strike up a decent looking partnership.
Darwin and Salah also appeared to be building up an understanding, with each assisting the other plenty of times.
If Klopp allows the three of them to get a run in the team together, the results good be devastating. Devastatingly good, that is.
With Mac Allister and Szoboszlai now added to the team as well, Darwin at least deserves a chance to prove the doubters wrong. He smashed his way to 34 goals during his second season at Benfica during 2021/22. You wouldn’t too hard on him not doing the same for Liverpool next year.
