Jurgen Klopp “Afraid” of How Good Darwin Nunez Could Be
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has expressed his admiration for striker Darwin Nunez, claiming he is “a bit afraid” of the immense potential the Uruguayan possesses. After a mixed first season at Anfield, Nunez is now starting to show the form that convinced the Reds to pay a fee potentially rising to £85 million to sign him from Benfica last summer.
He has scored seven goals and provided five assists in 14 outings across all competitions thus far, while also showing major improvement in terms of his defensive work and contribution to build-up. Klopp believes that Nunez is only just getting started and that there is still plenty more to come from him.
Klopp: “I’m a Bit Afraid of the Highs He Could Reach”
When asked if Liverpool supporters are now seeing the best of their No. 9, Klopp replied: “Of course not, but it’s completely different now. The first year was hard for him, and then hard for me as well because you see this incredible talent, massive potential, but it’s difficult to unfold it. I’m obviously a manager who can help a player but I need contact for that. In an ideal world, you can speed up the process by talking a lot with the player. I was not able to do that because I don’t speak Spanish, but his English is now much better and my Spanish still isn’t.”
Klopp went on to praise Nunez’s improved English and the importance of having an additional on-pitch translator in Alexis Mac Allister. He added: “The football English is not complicated, we don’t have to speak about everything in life, but the football communication is now possible which is absolutely helpful. And, of course, we have an extra on-field player; so far it was always Ali as the translator, now we have Macca and they are really close. And Macca is a super smart footballer so if I forget to tell him something Macca tells him anyway.”
The German manager then spoke of his admiration for Nunez and his potential, saying: “He’s in a very good moment and it’s still only the start for him. He’s in a good moment and long may it continue, hopefully it will continue like that forever. I’m a bit afraid of the highs he could reach because there is so much there, it’s crazy. Now we’ve found the real starting moment and let’s work from here.”
Nunez Showing Improvement Across All Competitions
Nunez has been showing his quality across all competitions this season, scoring four goals in seven Premier League appearances and three goals in four Champions League appearances. He has also been impressive in cup competitions, scoring once in two appearances in the FA Cup and once in three appearances in the League Cup.
The 22-year-old has also been praised for his defensive work and contribution to build-up play. He has made seven tackles and seven interceptions in the Premier League this season, while also completing an impressive 83% of his passes.
Conclusion
It is clear that Darwin Nunez has come on leaps and bounds since joining Liverpool last summer and Jurgen Klopp is right to be excited about what he could achieve in the future. With his improved English and increased understanding of the game, Nunez looks set to become an integral part of Klopp’s side for years to come.