This article contains affiliate links, and we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Nunez has split opinion during his time at Anfield and missed several chances in his side’s 2-0 defeat against Everton. On a frustrating evening, Nunez had a chance to equalise in the first half, only to fire straight at the knee of Jordan Pickford rather than across goal. The Uruguay international missed a similar chance in a 1-0 loss against Crystal Palace earlier this month.
Nunez has scored 11 Premier League goals from an Expected Goals total of 18.8, an underperformance of over seven strikes. That has prompted some criticism at a time when Liverpool have faltered in the final third as they attempt to maintain a title challenge. Some fans might have expected more of a return at that fee. Liverpool ultimately accepted his wish and sealed a big-money transfer in the summer of 2022.
Nunez had scored for Benfica in both legs of their Champions League tie in 2021-22 and his performances caught the eye. However, it is claimed that the recruitment team at Anfield felt that the then-RB Leipzig attacker Nkunku might have been a better option. The versatile Frenchman had just come off the back of a season in which he scored 35 goals and provided 20 assists. Chelsea swooped to guarantee a transfer early in that season, with the transfer formally confirmed last summer.
The Blues have not been able to see Nkunku at his best. An injury suffered in pre-season delayed the 26-year-old’s debut until the winter and several other setbacks mean he has made only seven Premier League appearances. Meanwhile, Klopp felt that missed opportunities were partly to blame for Liverpool’s defeat against Everton. He said: “We created a lot and didn’t score in the first half.
And then in the second half, a lot of emotions, we’re in a rush, not really clear enough. “Then you concede the second goal with a routine they do all season. We knew exactly the ball would end up there, we just didn’t defend well enough… They had a free-kick after free-kick, that’s one part of the story as well.”