Robbie Fowler has offered a brutally honest assessment of Darwin Nunez, claiming the striker is “not a Liverpool player.”
The Uruguayan was given a chance to prove his worth against Accrington Stanley on Saturday, but it proved to be another frustrating afternoon.
Granted, Nunez assisted Diogo Jota for the game’s opening goal, but he missed two big chances and looked a player short on confidence.
?? "The more I see him [Nunez], the more I think he's NOT a Liverpool player."
?? "He's not quick enough in his thought."
Robbie Fowler on Darwin Nunez… #ITVFootball | #FACup | @Robbie9Fowler | #LFC pic.twitter.com/kVI7NkVEAU
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) January 11, 2025
Fowler knows a thing or two about scoring goals, and speaking on ITV Sport, the Reds’ 7th-highest all-time goalscorer admitted he has serious doubts over the current Liverpool attacker.
“We’re saying the same things now that we’re saying two or three years ago,” Fowler said. “‘He’s raw, he’s this, he’s that’, and we can’t keep saying that.
“So for me, the more I see him, the more I think he’s not a Liverpool player.
“Now, people might have a go at me for saying this: you know, he works hard; you’re not signing a player because he works hard because that should be a prerequisite anyway.
“You’ve got to come in, you’ve got to score goals, and I know he’s a fan favourite for what he puts in, but at the time that we’re talking now, you’ve got to perform better, and you’ve got to do better in the Liverpool shirt.”
Time for Liverpool to sell Nunez?
At this point, there do have to be understandable doubts about Nunez’s long-term future.
Now in his third season at Liverpool, the 25-year-old still has flaws, whether it be his hit-and-miss finishing or unpredictable link-up play.
The goals have dried up for Nunez, who has only scored once in his last 12 appearances, and he hasn’t found the net since the 2-0 win over Aston Villa at Anfield in early November.
While Liverpool’s other attackers feel perfectly suited to Slot’s system and style of play, their No. 9 too often resembles a square peg in a round hole.
For that reason, a summer exit does feel possible, unless Nunez finds a new level between now and the end of the season.
His effort levels and team ethic cannot be called into question, which is why he is such a popular figure at Anfield, but it has reached the stage where he isn’t delivering enough.
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