Darwin Nunez has scored only four goals this season but Arne Slot is not buying into the perception that his No. 9 is “struggling with self-confidence.”
The Uruguayan remains under the microscope at Anfield with his suitability to Slot’s style pushing him further down the pecking order behind Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota.
Nunez has scored four goals and assisted a further four in 26 appearances so far this campaign, 14 of which have been starts.
• READ: Jota suffers yet another injury blow – doubtful vs. Brentford
He has been the subject of transfer speculation from Italy and Saudi Arabia but the Athletic’s James Pearce recently reported that the club “haven’t received any bids” for the 25-year-old.
An exit, however, feels like it is on the cards in the summer and with Nunez now back from suspension, Slot was asked about his forward’s confidence and it how it is affecting his composure.
“That’s your perception and maybe the perception of other people as well, but it’s not my perception that he’s struggling with self-confidence,” Slot retorted back to the reporter.
• READ: Slot reveals training issue for Diaz – “expecting him” to be available
“He was involved against Accrington Stanley in the first goal again as well, he was involved in the goal against Fulham that Jota scored, and he scored one against Southampton.
“I think after that it wasn’t that he had many starts, one time maybe, I don’t know exactly.
“For me, it’s the life of a striker. Sometimes you score, sometimes you don’t, and he hasn’t started every single game.
“The most important thing for me is, we as a team, are able to score every single game – except for the Tottenham one, I’m not sure if it was the only one game we’ve played that we didn’t score.”
It was the second time. The defeat to Nottingham Forest at Anfield was the first occasion that Liverpool failed to score this season. Now, back to Arne.
He continued: “It tells me we have so many goals in our team, and Darwin will score his goals like he did for the club already, and he will keep doing this.
“I don’t see him struggling that much as the way you see it. He’s still involved in goals in the last few games as well.”
There will be a big discussion over Nunez’s future in the summer but for now, he is needed as Liverpool continue to compete in four competitions – and with Diogo Jota in doubt against Brentford, he needs to start delivering consistently.
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