Goodbye, Darwin Nunez

Liverpool closes a colorful chapter with Darwin Nunez.

Darwin Nunez left Anfield to join Al-Hilal for a fee of £46.2 million.

The Uruguayan striker left Anfield for Al-Hilal for a fee of £46.2 million, taking with him unforgettable memories – sometimes explosive goals, sometimes missed opportunities that left fans clutching their heads. With Nunez, fans' emotions always fluctuated between extreme excitement and extreme disappointment, and it was this very contradiction that created a unique mark that no other player at Liverpool could replicate.

A record-breaking but unconventional contract.

In the summer of 2022, Nunez arrived at Liverpool with the label of "a replacement for both Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino," for a record fee of £64 million (potentially rising to £85 million). He made a perfect debut in the Community Shield, scoring against Manchester City, while Erling Haaland on the other side failed to score. However, the career trajectories of the two took two opposite directions: Haaland exploded with over 120 goals, while Nunez stopped at 39 goals for Liverpool after two seasons.

But judging Nunez solely by his goal tally overlooks his most crucial quality. Nunez isn't a classic "box-box assassin," nor is he a consistent goalscorer. He's a breath of fresh air—and sometimes a storm—in attack, with his speed, power, and ability to wreak havoc on any defense.

Jurgen Klopp was impressed by what Nunez did for Benfica, especially when he troubled Virgil van Dijk in the 2022 Champions League. He chose him over Alexander Isak, believing that his speed, height, and stamina would make him a "different kind of striker" for Liverpool.

And indeed, the difference was striking. Nunez unleashed more shots than anyone else in the Premier League during his first two seasons. The match against Chelsea in January 2024 was prime example: he didn't score but hit the post four times – a Premier League record – while simultaneously tearing apart the opposing defense.

Nunez's career at Liverpool was hampered by both disciplinary and tactical considerations.

However, this "weapon of chaos" didn't always bring victory. His lack of clinical finishing in front of goal earned him the label of "wooden foot" on many occasions. Michael Owen once bluntly criticized Nunez's lob over Brentford as a "one-in-ten" finish and wondered why he didn't choose a simpler approach. But if he had, he wouldn't have been Darwin Nunez.

Nunez's career at Liverpool was hampered by both disciplinary and tactical issues. A red card on his Premier League debut for headbutting Joachim Andersen was a terrible start. Klopp had experimented with him on the left wing, partly to utilize his speed, and partly because he didn't yet trust him enough to play as a central striker.

Klopp publicly defended his player, but gradually lost patience as his performance didn't improve. By the end of the 2023/24 season, Nunez had only started one of the last seven games.

The biggest change came when Arne Slot replaced Klopp. The Dutch manager favored a possession-based style of play, not one that relied on chaos. Nunez was relegated to third place in the striker selection, behind Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz, starting only eight Premier League games in the 2024/25 season. Slot even publicly criticized him, and Nunez had wanted to leave since January.

From expectation to a quiet end.

Seven goals in 47 games last season is a rather modest number for a record-breaking striker. His most recent goal for Liverpool was even a comical one: a clearance from the Sheffield United goalkeeper bounced off his thigh and into the net. Nevertheless, these dry statistics cannot erase the image of a Nunez who always plays with boundless energy, regardless of the outcome.

Liverpool closes a colorful chapter with Darwin Nunez.

He left the Premier League with an incredible record: 14 shots hitting the post in a relatively short playing time – a testament to the fact that he was always close to scoring, but didn't always manage to get there.

For opposing defenders, Nunez is a nightmare due to his unpredictability; for Liverpool fans, he is a source of pure emotion – though sometimes… anger. He can set Anfield ablaze with a single burst of speed, or leave everyone sighing with a clumsy finish.

Leaving Liverpool, Nunez carried with him the legacy of a great player in a peculiar way. He wasn't a legend of achievements, but a figure whose story would be told with a smile mixed with affection and a shake of the head.

The Saudi Pro League may not have fully grasped the storm that is about to hit. But at Anfield, Darwin Nunez's absence will leave a void – not just in the attack, but also in the hearts of those who love the emotional football where chaos can also become a kind of beauty.

Source: https://znews.vn/tam-biet-darwin-nunez-post1575923.html