Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp will be hoping to turn his current player, Darwin Nunez, follow his past success with Robert Lewandowski.
Similarity in Darwin Nunez at Liverpool and Robert Lewandowski at BvB
During Klopp’s time at Borussia Dortmund (BvB), he transformed Lewandowski into a prolific goal-scorer, and he sees a similar potential in Nunez.
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Lewandowski initially struggled in his first season in German football but eventually blossomed into one of Europe’s top No. 9s under Klopp’s guidance. Klopp will be hoping that Nunez will follow a similar trajectory.
Nunez, who joined Liverpool in 2022, had a promising debut season, scoring 15 goals despite often playing out of position on the wing.
This season, he has been deployed as a central striker and has already found the net seven times in 14 appearances.
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Jurgen Klopp on Darwin Nunez
Klopp acknowledges the challenges Nunez faced in his first year in England and the communication barrier due to language differences.
“The first year was hard for him, and then hard for me as well because you see this incredible talent, massive potential, but it’s difficult to unfold it. I’m obviously a manager who can help a player but I need contact for that.
In an ideal world, you can speed up the process by talking a lot with the player. I was not able to do that because I don’t speak Spanish, but his English is now much better and my Spanish still isn’t.
[He’s] settled in the team, when you see him around the building here, everything is different. He’s in a very good moment and it’s still only the start for him.
He’s in a good moment and long may it continue, hopefully it will continue like that forever. I’m a bit afraid of the highs he could reach because there is so much there, it’s crazy.”
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However, Nunez’s improved English and growing comfort within the team have contributed to his recent success.
Klopp is excited about Nunez’s potential and believes that the player is just scratching the surface of his abilities.
He notes that Nunez can also be utilized as a winger, depending on the opponent and tactical considerations.
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Despite Nunez’s positive developments, he has had his fair share of missed opportunities, a common challenge for strikers.
Klopp acknowledges that this is part of the striker’s life but emphasizes that Nunez’s current form and goal-scoring variety show he is in a promising phase.
Liverpool is my Religion and Anfield is my Church. 17th May 1996 the date I had my blood coloured red. The one you love the most you can not live without it and that is football to me.
