Liverpool told to ‘cut losses’ on underperforming Nunez with shock move for Newcastle United star
The current Premier League leaders have been given some transfer advice from a former player.
Liverpool have been told striker Darwin Nunez is ‘not at their level’ and should replace him by making a big money move for Newcastle United star Alexander Isak.
The 33-times capped Uruguay international was actually linked with a move to the Magpies during the summer of 2022 after he scored 48 goals in just 85 appearances during a two-year stay with Portuguese giants Benfica. However, it was Liverpool that won the race to sign Nunez when they agreed a reported £64m deal - rising to a possible £85m - for the striker that left Newcastle to turn their focus to signing Isak from Real Sociedad just over two months later.
Nunez went on to score a respectable 15 goals and provided four assists in 42 appearances in all competitions during his first season at Anfield and improved both tallies to 31 goal contributions in 54 games last season. However, after scoring three goals in 20 appearances and missing a whole host of chances to increasing his output during the current campaign, one former Liverpool star has suggested Nunez should be moved on as Arne Slot looks to guide the club to success on several fronts during his first year in charge of the club.
Former Reds winger Jermaine Pennant said: “I think Liverpool should cut their losses with Darwin Núñez. He cost so much money and is up there with one of Liverpool's highest-paid players. He’s just not giving Liverpool what they paid for – yes, he works his socks off and the fans love him, bringing something different to the team, but ultimately you want goals. Especially for that price tag, you expect returns to justify that fee, I think after this season – which is his third – we’re not going to see any improvement in the fourth or fifth.
“This is it now, this is the final product of Darwin Núñez. No disrespect to him, but he’s not on the level as a player that Liverpool are as a team. Liverpool has had some great number nines in the past, and Núñez falls short of them. I think it’d be wise to offload him somewhere in Europe and invest the money they get for him elsewhere. There was all that chat when he joined being compared to Erling Haaland when he went to Manchester City from Borussia Dortmund, but he just hasn’t got up to speed in the Premier League like Haaland has.”
Pennant identified Newcastle striker Isak as an ideal replacement and believes his old club should be fully aware of the attributes possessed by the Sweden international after he impressed against Liverpool on several occasions since his move to Tyneside. Isak marked his Magpies debut with a stunning strike at Anfield and grabbed his third goal in five appearances against the Reds with another memorable effort in a 3-3 draw with Slot’s side earlier this month.
Pennant said: “I think Liverpool should be looking at signing Alexander Isak from Newcastle in January. He scores every time he plays against Liverpool since he’s joined! Not only that, but he’s also a proven goalscorer and is a real handful for defenders. His movement is great, he’s quick and can bring in other players as well. He has all the attributes of fantastic number nine. That goal against Liverpool recently was all his creation, it was him getting the ball out of his feet and striking it into the back of the net and it’s not the first time we’ve seen that.”