‘Darwin Nunez will never play for Liverpool again’ after part-exchange twist
Darwin Nunez should never play for Liverpool ever again following Arne Slot’s comments on the frustrated striker, Troy Deeney has stated.
Despite earning an important point during a 2-2 draw with Aston Villa on Wednesday 19 February, Arne Slot‘s post-match press conference was shrouded in questions about the 25-year-old.
With the Reds wanting to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League table, Diogo Jota was replaced by the Uruguayan, only for him to miss a guilt-edge chance.
Slot, unsurprisingly, was unimpressed with his player’s behaviour following the miss, allowing his head to drop on the pitch rather than searching to make up for his mistake.
| Darwin Nunez v Aston Villa | Stats, as per FotMob |
| Minutes played | 24 |
| Pass completion | 67% (2/3) |
| Shot accuracy | 0% (0/1) |
| Successful dribbles | 0% (0/2) |
| Ground duels won | 0% (0/2) |
Darwin Nunez to be used in player-plus-cash deal to sign Alexander Isak
Speaking via talkSPORT [21 February], Deeney said: “Are we going to sit here now and say this is the first time he’s [Slot] spoken to Nunez? I bet he’s spoken to him at least eight times.
Alex Crook questioned: “Should those conversations not happen behind closed doors? Not played out in the media.”
Deeney replied: “They have done, but it’s not working out this way. This is what many people don’t realise. He hasn’t hammered him, just said he let it [miss v Villa] get to him.
“He’s not called him rubbish and said he should never play for us again – that’s what I would do.”
Keith Wyness has already told Football Insider that an offer of Nunez and “a lot of cash” in a part-exchange deal would be needed for Liverpool to sign Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak.
Newcastle United forward could be the answer to Mohamed Salah drama
Football Insider verdict
While Paul Robinson has exclusively told Football Insider that new Liverpool deals for Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk are “as good as done”, there are still some worried supporters.
That is exactly why a big-money move for Eddie Howe’s biggest star has been mooted at Anfield well in advance of the summer transfer window opening.
Jota, Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai have all proven to be smart additions to the squad in recent years, but there is no replacing Salah if he were to leave this summer.
Isak is one of the few in Premier League football who come close to the Egyptian, boasting 17 goals and five assists in 23 league appearances for the Magpies this term.
Slot likely has a total rebuild on his hands over the next couple of years, with many of Liverpool’s stars either coming to the end of their career or being linked with moves away from Anfield.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, for example, is being heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid, but Football Insider understands the Liverpool star will not decide his future at Anfield until the end of the season.
The new manager has an incredibly difficult journey ahead of him, but if his first season in charge as Jurgen Klopp’s successor is anything to go by, he should have plenty of success in England.