Darwin Núñez's lack of form showed against Manchester United, Klopp goes easy on him

The Liverpool boss played down his new striker's fitness as it is only the third time he has worked with his teammates.

13/07/2022, 04:33 PM +00:00

Núñez did not have a particularly good debut for Liverpool. He did not enjoy a good performance and his team was badly beaten by Manchester United in the first friendly match of the summer. However, Klopp, the German manager of the 'Red' side, stated that it was only the third time that the former Benfica striker had worked with his new teammates and that a bit of lack of rhythm was evident.

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"He is a number 9 who can also play on the wing. Let's see where we play him... But you could already see his teammates looking for him. It was only his third session and I think after the third 'sprint' his lungs were about to explode. We almost killed him with those long balls, but he got into the game and his teammates were trying to pass him the ball. That's clearly one of his strengths," said the Liverpool manager.

On the type of striker Liverpool has signed, Klopp is clear: "His profile is that of a pure '9', so it's good to have him. He will give us speed, aggressiveness and the ability to use his body".

Núñez must improve his form to meet expectations

Undoubtedly, Darwin Núñez must continue to improve his fitness to be the 'top' striker Liverpool need this season. With the departure of Mané, the Uruguayan must be one of the key players in Anfield for Liverpool to fight for all the titles on the line.