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Ben FlemingPublished Apr 26, 2024, 12:57pm|Updated Apr 26, 2024, 12:58pm
Jurgen Klopp disagreed with Liverpool’s recruitment team over the signing of Darwin Nunez, with the club preferring a move for a current Chelsea striker, according to reports.
Nunez joined Liverpool from Benfica in the summer of 2022 in a deal worth £85 million but has blown hot and cold throughout his time at Anfield.
The Uruguayan has 11 Premier League goals so far this season but has come under fire for his wasteful finishing, most recently on display in Liverpool’s 2-0 derby defeat against Everton which dealt a hammer blow to the Reds’ title hopes.
Nunez spurned a glorious opportunity to equalise after Jarrad Branthwaite’s opener but fired straight at Jordan Pickford before Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s second-half header secured all three points for Sean Dyche’s side.
And now, according to The Times, it has emerged that the signing of Nunez was pushed through by Klopp, with the club’s recruitment team instead preferring a move for current Chelsea striker Christopher Nkunku.
Nkunku enjoyed a prolific run in the Bundesliga with RB Leipzig before joining Chelsea for £53m in the summer.
The Frenchman’s maiden season at Stamford Bridge, however, has been blighted with injuries, with the 26-year-old missing lengthy spells with various shoulder, hip and hamstring issues.
With Klopp set to depart in the summer, former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher believes that the new manager will have a decision to make when it comes to the hit-and-miss Nunez.
‘I think there is a question to ask,’ Carragher said on Sky Sports following Liverpool’s defeat to Everton last Wednesday.
‘You want him to do well because he gives everything, he causes trouble, he gets the odd goal.
‘But after two years, when Liverpool are going for the title or in big games, you need your man to score at Old Trafford or at Goodison Park. This is the business end. He’s ground to a halt.
‘After two years there’s going to be no improvement in him. This is what he is. He can cause trouble but he’s erratic with his finishing – it’s not enough to win you trophies so there’s a big decision to be made on him.’
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