For all the ‘s**t Andy Carroll’ taunts and premature criticism and scrutiny Darwin Nunez has faced since his £64m move to Liverpool, he heads into this winter’s World Cup a man in form.
In his first 18 games for the Reds, of which only 10 were starts, the 23-year-old returned nine goals and two assists. Averaging a goal every other game for Jurgen Klopp’s side as a result but boasting just 944 minutes of action, he is remarkably also averaging a goal every 104.56 minutes and a goal contribution every 85.55 minutes.
With his World Cup set to get underway against South Korea in Group H on Thursday lunchtime, he’ll now be looking to make his mark on the global stage. He’s come a long way in a short space of time and is only going to get better.
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It seems remarkable in hindsight that compilation videos of his ‘lowlights’ from his first outing in Red, a 30-minute pre-season showing against Manchester United, were even created, then used as a stick to beat him with, such was the desperation for the big-money signing to end up being a big-money flop from certain opposing fans.
Perhaps the fact that it was United rather than Liverpool who had spent many months linked with the Uruguayan last season, and seemingly lead the chase in public at least, only to miss out on the striker, fuelled that desire to see him fail.
It later emerged that new Red Devils manager Erik ten Hag had indeed wanted to sign Nunez himself but United were beaten to his signature, with the Mirror reporting the Dutchman acknowledged it was unwise to use the bulk of his transfer budget to battle to sign the Uruguayan when the club had other priorities.
Meanwhile, according to The Athletic , United had a meeting arranged with Benfica to discuss signing Nunez back in March, only for club president Rui Costa to cancel after being struck down by food poisoning. United were said to be reluctant to re-enter negotiations, with suggestions the postponement was viewed as a deliberate snub, and missed out on signing the striker as a result.
Compare that to Liverpool sporting director Julian Ward’s Portuguese contacts enabling him to conclude straight-forward negotiations with Benfica, landing a big-money signing to counter the loss of Sadio Mane to Bayern Munich, and it was the latest example of the Reds' superiority behind the scenes compared to their bitter rivals.
Given their failure to land Nunez coincided with Cristiano Ronaldo’s initial push to leave Old Trafford, United’s summer frustration was clear. And it was not aided by a move for Marko Arnauotivc from Bologna, only for supporter backlash to prompt them to back out.
But at least they kept hold of their Portuguese superstar, digging their heels in to secure his stay but oblivious to the ugly long goodbye that would follow. Ronaldo would make just four Premier League starts but was an Europa League ever-present, scoring three goals from 16 appearances in all competitions during the first half of the season.
Failing to see eye-to-eye with Ten Hag, he was dropped from the squad after refusing to come on against Tottenham Hotspur, before one damning, well-publicised, unsanctioned interview with Piers Morgan on the eve of the World Cup, declaring he had no respect for his manager, ensured there would be no way back for the 37-year-old at Old Trafford.
Oh why did they bother? After threatening legal action, it was announced earlier this week that the forward’s contract had been terminated by mutual consent. As Nunez heads into the World Cup a man in form, Ronaldo arrives as a free agent and one who no longer has sides queuing up to land his signature as once would have been the case.
Still, all eyes remain on the forward, as he very much likes it, as Portugal take on Ghana in their own World Cup Group H opener, ahead of a meeting with Nunez’s Uruguay next week. On the evidence we’ve seen so far this season, you wouldn’t bet against the Liverpool man outshining Ronaldo, in what is his final World Cup, as both nations look to progress to the knockout stages at least.
While the veteran remains one of the greatest players to ever play the game, and isn’t auditioning for potential suitors in Qatar as a result, the jury is still very much out on where on earth he could move to next and if this decline in fortunes at Old Trafford is actually his beginning of the end.
Perhaps in the past United would have sided with Ronaldo over their manager but, as Klopp warned ahead of the Portuguese’s return to the Premier League, his arrival was never a transfer for the future. No longer at the peak of his powers, the Red Devils understandably backed their manager over their former favourite son.
“Everyone at Manchester United remains focused on continuing the team’s progress under Erik ten Hag and working together to deliver success on the pitch,” was a telling final line in their statement confirming Ronaldo’s second exit from the club, as they looked to draw a line under the whole drawn out process.
Despite Ronaldo’s discontent with his final half-season with United, Ten Hag has seemingly started to make an impact at Old Trafford. They sit fifth in the table at this World Cup break, three points off the top four but four points ahead of an injury-prone, ageing and inconsistent Liverpool. Meanwhile, the Red Devils are still active in all four competitions.
Yet Ronaldo’s unsavoury exit ensures Ten Hag again needs to pursue a new striker with Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial the Dutchman’s only senior options. While other positions in his squad might have been the priority in the summer, how different things could have been had they signed Nunez in the first place as well.
While critics might have queued up to mock the Uruguayan, every goal and improving performance would set the foundations to long-term success. He is exactly the profile of player Red Devils bosses should have been targeting in the first place when they thought it wise to steal Ronaldo from under Man City’s nose 18 months ago. How embarrassing for them.
United will have their regrets over this sorry saga, with the Portuguese's conduct ensuring they rue missing out on Nunez even more. Yet they’ll also be relieved to have it over and done with swiftly, both before Ronaldo’s World Cup gets underway and long before the return of Premier League football. They have seemingly learned their lesson, having paid no notice to Klopp’s words of warning the first time around..
“It’s not about me to judge that. It’s about if other clubs can do things like this, it’s obviously not business for the future,” the German said of his imminent Premier League return in August 2021. “In three or four years we will have the benefit of that, it’s for now and immediately if that happens.
“That is how some clubs are obviously working and that is absolutely fine, but there must be different ways. There must be a team a year later and two years later, for us at least. And three years later as well.
“You need success. We felt that if you can win trophies it is great but it’s not, even with the best squad in the world, possible every year. If that’s not possible, you still need to make sure you develop as a team and a club.”
This is what Ten Hag is seemingly trying to implement at Old Trafford and now he is free to rule without the distraction of Ronaldo undermining him. While Liverpool fans might have enjoyed how such a messy episode has unfolded for their bitter rivals, they now need Nunez to silence his critics even further to ensure any United revival does not come at their expense.
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