Expert cites Bruno Fernandes amid ‘huge’ behind-the-scenes Liverpool latest
It is unlikely that marquee Liverpool signing Darwin Nunez will emulate Bruno Fernandes and find his feet in English football from the get-go.
That is the view of medical expert Ben Dinnery, who runs the Premier Injuries site and has a background in injury and data analysis.
Nunez, 23, signed for the Merseysiders in a club-record £85million deal from Benfica in June.
As quoted by The Independent on Tuesday (2 August), his new teammate Fabinho claimed that the Uruguayan is “in a period of adaptation” in training.
The striker got off the mark in his competitive debut in the Community Shield last Saturday (30 July), scoring the third in the 3-1 win over Man City.
But Dinnery was quick to temper expectations about the young striker given the “huge” pressure he is under at his new club.
“It’s very difficult to pin down a definitive timeframe in terms of how long it takes a player to adapt physically,” he told Football Insider’s Adam Williams.
“It very much comes down to the individual. Regardless of whatever level they play or their experience, we are talking about a new environment, a different way of life, different tactics, and different intensities.
“It’s huge pressure. Very few players come in from a new league and hit the ground running like Bruno Fernandes at Man United and look right at home straight away.
“Some players can look a little bit lost in their first season and come to life in their second. You expect a level of inconsistency.
“Liverpool are going to be under the spotlight. The fact that he is a big-money signing brings with it its own pressure.
“We have seen glimpses of a player but these off-season games are incomparable to what we see in the cut and thrust of the Premier League. But the early signs are really promising.”
In other news, pundit tips Liverpool star Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to leave on free transfer after confirmed news.