Jürgen Klopp has started to field Darwin Núñez on the left flank again in recent weeks, despite his sudden emergence as an elite central striker for Benfica.
A player by the name of Darwin Núñez made waves in Europe last season. In fact, his performances were so impressive that both of England’s biggest clubs, Liverpool and Manchester United, wished to acquire his signature.
Jürgen Klopp managed to entice him to Anfield over Old Trafford, but his usage of the Uruguayan international has been somewhat curious ever since. Núñez made a name for himself as a goal-obsessed striker above all else, finding the net 26 times in the Portuguese top-flight last term.
He was clinical for Benfica, and managed to convert over 30 per cent of his shots into goals. Liverpool’s interest in his services was understandable, but Klopp has since been inclined to field him on the flanks.
Núñez has been competing in the Premier League for just six months, but upon inspection of his minutes for the Reds, he’s spent a fair amount of time out wide rather than through the middle.
The recent signing of Cody Gakpo seems to have emphasized the decision, as the Dutchman has been deployed through the middle since signing from PSV Eindhoven earlier this month.
Núñez did demonstrate a tendency to drift towards the left side of the pitch for Benfica but despite that, he was still very much a central striker, which poses the question as to why Klopp is using him in such a manner.
It is a curious one to consider, although much of the answer could stem from the make-up of the original front three on Merseyside, consisting of Roberto Firmino, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané.
Those three players operated as the ultimate trio during their time together. Liverpool’s attack was harmonious and in sync due to the stylistic nature of each player involved, with Firmino dropping deeper from his central position, allowing Salah and Mané to dart inside from wide areas.
The two African forwards provided the pace and goals that Firmino lacked, and as a trident, every player complemented one another. It remains to be seen exactly what Klopp is thinking regarding the future of his attack, but it looks like there’s an element of him that doesn’t want to lose what came before.
Núñez, despite his experience as a central striker, is nothing like Firmino. Instead, he’s closer to Salah and Mané in the sense that he’s quick, obsessed with scoring goals and poses a massive threat in behind opponents.
The South American wants to add the finishing touch rather than linking things together, which could explain why Klopp is interpreting him as a player who can add penetration from the flanks.
The Reds boss has also touched on Gakpo’s defensive nous of late, which could be a reason behind his central role. “His defending in his positioning is outstanding,” he said in his press conference last week. “It’s what we need.”
Núñez is more of a free spirit on the defensive side of the game at present, and he doesn’t yet speak the same language as Klopp, who is reliant on his assistant, Pep Lijnders, to bridge the gap.
Overall, Klopp has plenty of things on his to-do list over the next six months, and finding a designated place for Núñez is certainly one of them.
His scoring record, pace, penetration and untrained defensive game are possible reasons behind his wide role, but whether he will remain on the flanks for the rest of his Reds career remains undecided, not least with the currently-sidelined Luis Díaz to come back into the equation.
For now, though, Núñez could continue to play the role of Mané coming inside from the left.
