When Liverpool spent an initial £64m to bring in Darwin Nunez from Benfica last summer, it was seen as a step in a new direction for the Reds. Having waved off Sadio Mane to Bayern Munich, and with Roberto Firmino no longer a guaranteed starter, Jurgen Klopp had seemingly opted for a traditional number nine as he reinvented his side’s attack.
The Uruguayan would start his Liverpool career down the middle and showed glimpses of his talent in a rollercoaster start to the campaign. While outsiders would take great glee in some of the 23-year-old’s erratic finishing, at the time there was no suggestion that a positional switch would be on the cards.
Yet long-term injuries suffered by Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota in quick-succession in October forced a re-think at Anfield. Klopp would try out a number of different formations as the Reds looked to power through without a natural left-sided forward.
