Darwin Nunez must continue to show consistency in his pressing and with his link play in order to cement his place in Liverpool's starting XI following Diogo Jota's injury against Chelsea on Sunday, Reds expert David Lynch has argued.
The 25-year-old was brought to the club in the summer of 2022 for a fee that could potentially rise to more than £85m, with expectations that he would lessen the burden on the likes of Mohamed Salah to produce goals and assists.
Indeed, previous Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp was reportedly so enamoured by the striker's performances against the Reds for Benfica in the quarter-final of the 2021-22 Champions League that he insisted the Uruguayan be brought to the club.
However, more than two seasons after signing, Nunez has yet to establish himself in the starting XI and has found it difficult to displace Diogo Jota under current manager Arne Slot.
The forward was brought on as a first-half substitute during his side's win against Chelsea when Jota was eventually forced off after clashing with Tosin Adarabioyo.
Speaking to Sports Mole, Lynch highlighted Nunez's strong showing against the Blues, praising the forward for his well-rounded performance.
"I thought his link-up play was fantastic, some of the balls he played in behind and, you know, battling with players to keep possession as well, and just did a great job," Lynch said when asked about the Uruguayan's impact.
"His pressing work was great as well. I mean, Liverpool kind of tweaked how they were defending once Nunez came on, and he was almost the one man who was being asked to press all three defenders."
'That is his ticket into the side'
"He was given a tough task there, but I just thought he did a really, really good job of it, and that is his ticket into the side.
"It's been said by Klopp, it's been said by Slot, that if he presses in the right way, then he will get games. And so I think that's the thing that the manager will be most encouraged by. But all aspects of his play were really good."
Nunez is more usually known for his frantic playstyle and ability to generate shots from positions that others would not consider, such as when he scored his first goal of the campaign against Bournemouth at Anfield on September 21.
While the striker failed to produce a shot against Chelsea, his tenacity off the ball and involvement in deeper areas of the pitch allowed Liverpool to progress forward when in possession, something that would not normally be associated with him.
Nunez also ended the match having won nine duels and four fouls, more than any other player on the pitch against Enzo Maresca's side, and he will no doubt get further minutes if he can replicate this level of performance in the future.
Lynch calls for Nunez consistency
© Imago
"I've been critical in the past of kind of the inconsistency he's shown. And I still think that is the big question mark that's over him at the moment, is can he keep putting it together? But, you know, I'll be honest, when he comes on for Jota early in the game, I'm thinking that is a bit of a blow for Liverpool.
"Jota's obviously a brilliant forward and a big miss. And obviously, as I say, with Nunez, there's that inconsistency there, so you were concerned about his impact. But then his first touch is that little flick into Salah, and then he immediately starts to make the run in behind. And you think, I don't know whether that gave him confidence or just showed that he is feeling confidence at the moment, but that was a really good start.
"But all aspects of his play were really good. And I think it's a recent game where he came in, was it perhaps against Bologna? And I think he completes sort of three out of 12 passes in that game, and I was quite critical of him after that one. In this one, I think he's up near 75% pass completion, which obviously it's not perfect, but if he's doing that and his link play is working and coming off, and some of those were difficult passes, you're getting a lot more from your centre-forward and that is exactly what Liverpool need.
"[There's] every chance he gets a little run [in the team] now, but that was a very, very good start to things. And the hope will have to be, can he put a string of games together where he shows consistency and he performs at that level? Fingers crossed he can do."
Nunez has only started three times under Slot, with his first start coming against Bournemouth in the Premier League when he scored, his second against West Ham United in the EFL Cup on September 25 when he registered an assist, and his third coming against Bologna in the Champions League in early October, a match in which he contributed heavily to Alexis Mac Allister's opener in the first half.
Though the Uruguayan may not be as rounded as Jota in terms of dropping deep to help move the Reds up the pitch, he possesses many qualities that the Portuguese does not, such as blistering pace and immense physical strength.
Nunez will likely have the opportunity to impress once again on Wednesday in his side's clash against RB Leipzig in the Champions League, and if Slot can acclimatise the striker to his play style and improve the forward's consistency in Jota's absence, then Liverpool's record signing may make good on his fee.
Lewis Nolan
