Liverpool splashed £64million to sign Darwin Nunez in the summer but he hasn’t nailed down his place yet with Cody Gakpo soon to join from PSV for £44.3m – after the Reds gazumped Man United
Darwin Nunez has been hailed as “unstoppable” by Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp despite plans to bring in a new striker.
Dutch forward Cody Gakpo is due in England to complete a deal worth up to £44.3million from PSV Eindhoven after an impressive World Cup. He will boost Liverpool’s attacking options with Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota facing lengthy spells on the sidelines.
In their absence, Uruguayan summer signing Nunez, who cost £64million from Benfica, missed several chances in Liverpool ’s Boxing Day 3-1 win at Aston Villa. But Klopp insists the forward, 23 who has nine goals in 20 appearances, is still a huge threat and will come good.
The Reds boss assessed: “He’s unstoppable when we keep the ball and pass it in the right moment, there’s no defender who can really catch up speed-wise.
“I know all the stories around and it’s all fine but we are completely calm, everything will be fine. He played an exceptional game and we won 3-1 and that’s all that counts.
“I haven’t been in the business since yesterday and I’ve had some strikers around. I know scoring at the beginning is really not important. There are so many other things that are much more important. You just have to stay calm.”
Nunez wasted two fine openings in the first half before dragging wide when clean through after the break at Villa Park. But he got his second assist of the season when sub Stefan Bajcetic scored late on after Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk had earlier netted.
Defensive midfielder Bajcetic took the ball around Villa goalkeeper Robin Olsen and fired past Tyrone Mings on the line. At 18 years and 65 days old, he became the youngest player to score as a sub in the Premier League for Liverpool since Michael Owen against Tottenham Hotspur in November 1997.
The midfielder has enjoyed a breakthrough campaign with Monday’s cameo his seventh appearance for Klopp’s side after impressing in the club’s World Cup camp in Dubai.
Bajcetic, who joined from Celta Vigo in February 2021, said: “I’ve been here for the whole season working and trying to learn and watch.
“Dubai was quite a good experience because I played in two games and got experience and confidence. Hopefully, I can get more minutes and keep on working hard and learning.”
Source: mirror.com
