Goodbye, Darwin Nunez

Darwin Nunez left Anfield for Al-Hilal for a fee of £46.2m.

The Uruguayan striker left Anfield for Al-Hilal for £46.2m, bringing with him unforgettable memories - sometimes explosive goals, sometimes head-scratching misses. With Nunez, the emotions of the fans fluctuated between extreme excitement and extreme boredom, and it was this contradiction that created a unique mark that no other player at Liverpool could replicate.

Record-breaking but unconventional contract

In the summer of 2022, Nunez arrived at Liverpool with the label "the replacement for both Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino", with a record fee of 64 million pounds (possibly up to 85 million). He made a perfect debut in the Community Shield when he scored against Man City, while Erling Haaland on the other side of the battle line failed to score. However, the career trajectories of the two men went in two opposite directions: Haaland exploded with more than 120 goals, while Nunez stopped at 39 goals for Liverpool after two seasons.

But judging Nunez solely on his goals is to miss the most important part of him. Nunez is not a classic “box killer”, nor a consistent goalscorer. He is a breath of fresh air – and sometimes a hurricane – in attack, with speed, power and the ability to create chaos for any defence.

Jurgen Klopp was once impressed by Nunez's work for Benfica, especially when he made Virgil van Dijk miserable in the 2022 Champions League. He chose him over Alexander Isak, believing that his speed, height and tenacity would make him a "different striker" for Liverpool.

And it was a difference. Nunez had more shots than anyone else in the Premier League in his first two seasons. The January 2024 game against Chelsea was a vivid example: he didn’t score but hit the woodwork four times – a Premier League record – and he broke down the opposition defence.

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

However, this “weapon of chaos” does not always bring victory. His lack of luck in front of goal has earned him the label of “wooden leg” at times. Michael Owen once openly criticized Nunez’s lob against Brentford as “a one-in-ten shot” and wondered why he didn’t take a simpler approach. But if he had done so, he would no longer be Darwin Nunez.

Nunez’s Liverpool career has been hampered by both disciplinary and tactical issues. A red card on his Premier League debut for headbutting Joachim Andersen was a poor start. Klopp experimented with him on the left wing, partly because he wanted to use his speed, partly because he did not trust him as a striker.

Klopp publicly defended his player, but gradually lost patience when his performance did not improve. At the end of the 2023/24 season, Nunez started only one of the last seven matches.

The biggest change came when Arne Slot replaced Klopp. The Dutchman preferred a controlled style of play, not one that relied on chaos. Nunez was relegated to third-choice striker behind Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz, starting just eight Premier League games in 2024/25. Slot even publicly criticized him, and Nunez wanted out in January.

From Expectation to a Quiet End

Seven goals in 47 games last season is a modest return for a record striker. His most recent Liverpool goal was a comical one, a clearance from the Sheffield United goalkeeper that bounced off his thigh and into the net. But the dry numbers don’t erase the image of Nunez playing with energy, no matter the result.

Liverpool close a colourful chapter with Darwin Nunez.

He left the Premier League with an incredible record: 14 shots on target in a relatively short time – a testament to how he was always close to the goal, but not always able to reach it.

To opposing defenders, Nunez is a source of unpredictability; to Liverpool fans, he is a source of pure emotion – even if it is sometimes anger. He can set Anfield alight with a single burst of speed, or make everyone sigh with a poor finish.

In leaving Liverpool, Nunez carries with him the legacy of a great player in an odd way. He is not a legend of achievement, but a figure who will be remembered with a fond smile and a shake of the head.

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

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