Darwin Nunez's exit from Liverpool looks sealed despite his heroics against Brentford last Saturday because he has too many flaws in his game, Reds expert David Lynch has argued.
The Premier League leaders seemed as if they would drop points when they played Brentford, but two goals from Nunez in second-half stoppage time secured Arne Slot a 2-0 victory, seeing his side extend their advantage over second-placed Arsenal to six points by the end of the weekend.
Nunez arrived at Anfield in the summer of 2022 from Benfica for a club-record fee of £85m, but despite showing promise in some areas, the Uruguayan has often been frustrating in front of goal.
When asked if Nunez's goals could see him given one last chance to salvage his Liverpool career, Lynch struggled to picture him staying at the club beyond this season when he told Sports Mole: "I can't see it. He hasn't dragged me back in just yet.
"There are too many flaws in his game and weaknesses that we've seen. It's going to be three seasons at Liverpool by the end of this campaign, and a few of those flaws remain - they haven't been ironed out.
"My expectation remains that he is going to be on the chopping block at the end of the season and he will move on. That Saudi interest is interesting in terms of does he want to make that move at this point in his career? Would he rather stay in Europe? We'll have to see."
The striker has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia in recent weeks, with reports that the Reds rejected an offer of £70m for the 25-year-old.
Why Nunez does not have a future at Liverpool
Nunez has fallen down the pecking order at Anfield, with Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz ahead of him as options in the forward line, making him arguably the club's fifth-choice attacker.
The striker has only started seven times in the Premier League so far this season, scoring four goals and providing two assists in 16 appearances.
Lynch compared Nunez's inconsistencies to that of high-profile midfield signing Naby Keita, telling Sports Mole: "He's never going to be someone who justifies his price tag, or become the established number nine for Liverpool. We can all accept that. We've seen enough evidence now, but he can definitely be useful.
"He could have some similarity if he were to leave at the end of this season to Naby Keita, who absolutely didn't live up to expectations at Liverpool.
"His performance level was sometimes high, but mostly he had that problem of inconsistency, and also the injury problems that he had was another real drawback for him."
Nunez demonstrated some development last term when he produced 11 goals and eight assists in the league - a rate of 0.84 goal contributions per 90 - but it is not unreasonable to suggest that he has taken a step backwards under Slot given he is averaging 0.69 goal contributions per 90 in the top flight this season.
© Imago
How Nunez can still contribute to Liverpool winning the Premier League
Jota is set to miss out on action for a few weeks after aggravating a previous injury, and though Diaz has operated as a number nine this campaign, he has struggled up front in recent matches.
Nunez has most of the traits that would be desirable in a striker - he is immensely gifted physically, a top athlete and able to generate shots at will.
These traits were useful for Liverpool against Brentford, and Lynch expressed his belief to Sports Mole that they can continue to be useful in the remainder of 2024-25, saying: "As much as he's expecting to leave at the end of the season and we're going to see the last few months of Darwin Nunez, his job in the remaining games is to be a menace, to help in some way, to make sure if he does leave, it's with as many winners' medals as he can possibly collect.
"Can he play any role in the League Cup? Can he give some of the players a rest in a couple of Champions League dead rubbers or less important games? Can he come on in the Premier League and get a late winner? Can he do that? Can he get goals when you need him to?
"If Nunez can pop up with the odd goal and be a six out of ten in a win where he gives someone who's important a rest, that is absolutely massive to have someone who does that, so that's my hope for him between now and the end of the season."
Nunez started against Lille in the Champions League on Tuesday, and while he did not score, he could get the opportunity to add to his tally on Saturday when Liverpool take on relegation-threatened Ipswich Town in the Premier League.
Lewis Nolan
