Former Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant has admitted he would sell Darwin Nunez should an appropriate offer be made for the forward this month or in the summer.
Nunez has split opinion ever since arriving at Anfield in June 2022, with the Uruguayan’s inconsistent finishing ability countered by his relentless work-rate and desire to create chaos in the final third of the pitch.
The 24-year-old has been used both on the left wing and centrally in an attempt to find his best position, though this has resulted in a noticeable difference as regards his rate of scoring. The ex-Benfica star has registered more assists this season (10) than he has scored goals (8).
This reality has raised questions as to whether or not Nunez will ever be the 25-goal-per-season striker fans were convinced the Reds had initially recruited, or if it is simply a case of holding out for the tide to turn.
Aware of why patience is running out among some supporters, Pennant told the ECHO: “It’s difficult because we’ve given him 18 months now. I guess the first year can be put down to learning the league and the language barrier, but he has now been there 18 months.
“I think he’s a great player, he’s always involved and it’s often chaos, but he needs to sharpen up his finishing. Being in a team like Liverpool, you have to be putting the chances away or it becomes costly. Getting three or four chances a game and only scoring one or getting two big chances and missing them both, that can become costly. If they fall to Salah, they go in.”
Plenty of criticism has come the way of Liverpool’s No.9, who was viewed as the Reds’ answer to Erling Haaland after landing in England at the same time as the prolific Norwegian. On the challenge of blocking out negative noise as a professional, Pennant remarked: “It’s difficult because you see it everywhere: on social media, you hear it, you read about it, the pundits are all talking about it. It’s hard to ignore and avoid. That’s why sometimes when you see certain players score, you see them make reference to the fans because everyone is talking about them. All he needs is a few runs of continuous goals. The more he scores, the more he puts the critics to bed.”
One individual who may view Nunez’s inconsistent displays as a case to suggest he should lose his starting sport is Diogo Jota, who is the very definition of a calm and composed finisher in front of goal. The Portugal international has bettered Nunez’s goal tally this campaign in nine fewer appearances, a statistic that only reinforces his unfortunate role as a game-changer rather than a regular starter.
“Diogo Jota has got a massive case to be starting,” recognised Pennant. “If you’re Diogo and you’re not starting, you’re disappointed. Every time you see Diogo on the pitch, he somehow scores. He is always involved. If you want one man in front of goal with a chance, you want Diogo Jota. I think I would start Jota ahead of Nunez based on the number of goals he can score. I would go Diaz, Jota and Salah as my main front three.”
It remains to be seen what the future holds for Nunez at Liverpool, which could also be said for star man Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian was the subject of a £150million offer from Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad in the summer, though the Reds resisted this bid and had no intention of cashing in on the 31-year-old. Were the same interest to be shown in Nunez from the Middle East, Pennant believes Liverpool may have other ideas.
“We love Nunez, but you have to think of the club,” he explained. “If it is crazy money, I think the club would be tempted. If you’re going to lose either Salah or Nunez, I think you’d probably want to lose Nunez. I’m sure heads would be turned if a big-money offer came in, but I wouldn’t want to see him go. For the potential £85million that Nunez cost Liverpool, I think he needs to be a better finisher.”
