Darwin Nunez's former coach weighs in on Liverpool future after lack of 'development'

Darwin Nunez’s former coach has weighed in on why the striker has struggled to settle in at Liverpool as an exit from Anfield looks to be in the works.

Nunez is being strongly linked with a move away from the Reds this summer as his three-year stint on Merseyside looks to be coming to an end. The Uruguayan has struggled for consistency since joining Liverpool from Benfica in 2022, with last season representing his worst return for the club so far.

The 26-year-old scored just seven goals in 47 appearances across all competitions as his wastefulness in front of goal continued to be an issue. Nunez ended up falling further down the pecking order under Arne Slot, with his last start for Liverpool coming against Southampton at the start of March.

Liverpool looks as though it will cut its losses this summer, with Napoli being heavily linked with a move for Nunez, although recent reports have suggested there might still be a lot of work to do before a deal is agreed.

Giving his thoughts on Nunez’s potential move to Italy, Urguayan coach Fabian Coito explained why he feels his former protege has failed to find his feet at Liverpool.

“A clear statement must be made about Darwin Nunez: based on his technical, tactical and personal characteristics, he needs certain conditions to be able to perform at his best,” Coito told Kiss Kiss Napoli (via Area Napoli).

“First of all, he needs to be physically fit. Tactically, he needs game situations where he can exploit space to unleash his attacks in depth. This is his main characteristic that impressed me, even when I coached him as a young player with Uruguay.

“And this is his main weapon even now. And these tactical prerogatives probably weren’t developed at Liverpool, preventing him from expressing himself to the fullest.

“In the Premier League, the pace is high and you have to make the best decisions on the pitch in a fraction of a second. I have no doubts about Darwin: he’s young, he has an impressive physique, his greatest quality, and he’s in great shape.

“Plus, he’s an exceptional person, and from my point of view, this aspect is fundamental.”

Liverpool.com says: Nunez’s talent has never really been in doubt. The problem is he has just let himself down with his finishing on too many occasions at Liverpool, and last season we saw how his form was having an increasingly negative effect on the rest of his game.

The best thing for both parties now is a parting of the ways, and it looks as though that will happen. Hopefully Nunez can kickstart his career away from Anfield.

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