What to do with a problem like Darwin Nunez? The Liverpool striker has evoked every emotion available to the Reds fanbase, wowing and winding up with equal measure as he catches the eye and misses the net.
The Uruguay international is a singular player, capable of sending a frisson of excitement and a frisson of fear through his own support with equal measure, blessed with influential prancing in the danger area and afflicted by inexcusable profligacy in front of goal.
The transfer window is around the corner, looming like a rumbling storm over yonder, and while Arne Slot will arrive at Anfield to head a new era at Liverpool, there is going to be plenty of change, players coming and going as Jurgen Klopp ends his Premier League tenure.
Will Nunez be a part of this revamp? His long-term future is a point of discussion and FSG's CEO of Football, Michael Edwards, will have headed such talks at the transfer table.
Liverpool's summer transfer plans
According to mounting reports from Spanish sources, Nunez is firmly on the radar of Barcelona as Xavi's side search for Robert Lewandowski's successor, one of the finest goalscorers of his generation but entering his 36th year with the 2024/25 season.
Nunez signed for Liverpool for a club-record fee rising to £85m back in 2022 but has only scored 33 goals from 94 matches and has been rebuked in recent weeks for his part in Liverpool's late-season slump, ebbing from form and blanking across six successive top-flight matches.
The 24-year-old has fuelled the growing situation of his role in Slot's squad by deleting LFC-related imagery from his social media accounts, and it's no wonder that Liverpool appear to be searching for a new centre-forward.
One of the latest names to emerge belongs to Mohamed Amoura, who plays in Belgium for Union Saint-Gilloise and, according to a prior report from L'Equipe, has already been contacted by Liverpool bosses.
Amoura has a price tag of €20m (£17m) and would be a bit of a risk – but then Edwards and Liverpool often opt for the less-trodden path and could score a blinder with this one.
Darwin Nunez's season in numbers
Admittedly, Nunez has made gains during his second campaign at Liverpool, posting 18 goals and supplying 13 assists in all competitions, winning the Carabao Cup and playing a key part in the resurgence from the drab 2022/23 campaign.
Matches played
29
34
Matches started
19
22
Goals
9
11
Assists
3
8
Big chances missed
20
27
Pass completion
67%
71%
Big chances created
11
11
Key passes per game
1.0
1.0
Dribbles per game
0.6 (49%)
0.4 (45%)
Duels won per game
2.8 (38%)
2.5 (38%)
If some of the more spiteful social media discourse is to be believed, Nunez is posturing as a Prem-level striker, but this is not the case. Nunez has his flaws but he has many strengths and has demonstrated improvement after his first campaign in England.
The £140k-per-week star has been far more effective creatively but he's still left plenty to be desired with his finishing, ranking among the top 18% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals but also ranking among the top 1% for shots taken per 90, as per FBref.
This metric corroborates his wastefulness, especially when collating that with data that shows a return of 20 goals across two Premier League campaigns that have also seen a staggering 47 big chances missed.
If Barcelona present Liverpool with an attractive financial package it would be difficult to say no. Especially with fellow forwards Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo eager to cement starting berths under Slot and Amoura on the radar.
How Mohamed Amoura could fit in at Liverpool
Amoura has been hailed for his "incredibly prolific" first season in Belgium by talent scout Jacek Kulig and indeed has set the foundation for a prosperous career.
Across all competitions, the Algeria international has scored 23 goals and supplied seven assists, notably scoring and assisting as USG defeated Liverpool 2-1 in their final Europa League group-stage match.
Minutes played
84'
Goals
1
Assists
1
Shots on target
3
Accurate passes
15/19 (79%)
Key passes
3
Dribble attempts
5/5
Duels won
8/15
Some performance. Amoura proved he can throw down with the best as his talismanic performance sank Liverpool and ensured his side cemented a third-place finish and advanced to the Europa Conference League knockout rounds.
What's more, he has scored 18 goals from 22 league matches this season while missing only three big chances – that is an extraordinary level of precision in striking moments.
The Algerian striker ranks among the top 1% of positional peers across divisions similar to the Jupiler Pro League for goals scored per 90, as per FBref – sure, that's wonderful stuff.
But he also ranks among the top 10% for assists, the top 7% for shot-creating actions, the top 1% for progressive carries, the top 4% for successful take-ons and the top 11% for tackles per 90.
He does the fundamentals perfectly, plies his trade with the clarity and composure of a natural-born star. Amoura is yet to try his hand in one of Europe's top-five leagues but there's a sense that he would be an excellent replacement for Nunez, offering similar snap and spark in his all-round play but, more importantly, offering a clinical touch that has evaded the Uruguayan.
But what of Nunez's stunning goalscoring season with Benfica, before joining Liverpool, you cry. True enough, the South American star scored 24 goals from 28 starts in Liga Portugal in 2021/22, but he still missed 14 big chances in less testing circumstances.
The rigours of the Premier League have struck many promising players down, but Amoura has an inborn goalscoring talent and he has the all-encompassing, dynamic skill set to complement.
He's not the household name that some might expect if Liverpool are to replace Nunez this summer, but trust in Edwards, trust in Liverpool's transfer diligence.
Darwin Nunez axed, £180m trio sign: Arne Slot's dream XI at Liverpool
Things could be looking rather different at Anfield come August.
ByAngus Sinclair May 9, 2024
This might prove to be a shrewd signing, one that would be perfect for Slot's high-energy system. It might be an addition that ensures Liverpool enter a new era with a flourish.
