Inside Story: Nunez Reveals Strain in Relationship with Liverpool Star: ‘We Don’t See Eye-to-Eye
Darwin Nunez of Liverpool has said that a language barrier makes it difficult for him to understand Jurgen Klopp. However, he appreciates the efforts of the Anfield manager since his transfer.
In June, the Reds paid Benfica an initial £64 million plus £21 million in potential add-ons to acquire Nunez. The 23-year-old also received a 140k-per-week contract through June 2028. However, since his arrival on Merseyside, his debut season has been a mixed bag.
Nunez has been an unpredictable presence at the top of Klopp’s attack this season, contributing 10 goals and three assists. This season, he has appeared in 25 matches across all competitions for Liverpool. In August, the striker was also suspended for three games due to a red card.
During his first start in the Premier League against Crystal Palace, referee Paul Tierney issued Nunez a straight red card. The Uruguayan attacker with 16 international caps headbutted Joachim Andersen early in the second half. Then, he would miss Liverpool’s 2-1 loss to Manchester United.
Nunez has provided Klopp and Liverpool with four goals and one assist in his last 12 Premier League appearances. He has not contributed to a goal in his last four Premier League appearances since the World Cup. While he scored two of his hits against Southampton, a team in the basement of the league.
Nunez has nearly always been at the center of Klopp’s offensive strategies when he has played for Liverpool. The striker from Artigas is frequently in scoring positions. However, getting the ball past the goal line and into the back of the net has proven to be a much more difficult task.
Only Harry Kane (78), Aleksandar Mitrovic, Erling Haaland (74), and Mohamed Salah (60) have tried more shots in the Premier League than Nunez (56), according to WhoScored. However, he ranks third in off-target attempts (23) behind Mitrovic (31) and Salah (25).
The language barrier, which Nunez admits causes problems with Klopp, is one of the concerns that may be holding Nunez back at Liverpool. The Uruguayan star and the German manager do not now speak the same language. But Nunez desires to quickly comprehend everything.
“My Spanish-speaking teammates are constantly translating for me because I still do not understand a great deal,” Nunez told Sky Sports. “But beware, as I am enrolled in English classes. I hope that in at least a year and a half, I will be able to comprehend everything.
“[Klopp] doesn’t speak Spanish and I don’t speak English, so we don’t understand each other. But ever since I arrived at Liverpool, he has always given me confidence.”
Inside Story: Nunez Reveals Strain in Relationship with Liverpool Star: ‘We Don’t See Eye-to-Eye
