The Case For Selling Darwin Núñez (and the Case For Keeping Him)

The arrival of Cody Gakpo changed everything

Over six-feet tall, 23-years-old.

Fast as lightning. Hefty fee.

A 30-goal season the year before arriving, including some surprisingly cute finishes, as well as the expected pace-burns on through-balls.

So, that was Djibril Cissé.

If finally dawned on me a month or so ago (when I first drafted this piece) that Darwin Núñez reminds me of Cissé. The parallels are eery, albeit the outcome doesn't have to be the same.

It's been bugging me for ages, the identity of the player who I was so excited to see and who ultimately didn't suit the style of the team he joined; in that case, as the manager who signed him was fired, and his replacement want a different type.

(Christian Benteke and Andy Carroll were two other examples, but neither was as prolific as Núñez – Benteke's best season was 23 goals, Carroll's was 11 outside the top flight, compared to Núñez's 34 in 2021/22. Neither was as fast or could be used on the wing.)

Now, Núñez is not tied to the ultimate 'failure' that Cissé is a little harshly remembered as, despite the Frenchman scoring 19 goals in his only season not wrecked by a horrific broken leg (and who also scored a penalty in the shootout in Istanbul not long after returning from a compound fracture, as well as Liverpool's opening goal in the 2006 FA Cup Final a year later).

But at some point you have to wonder if you can shape a square peg to fit a round hole. Especially as, after an exciting if erratic first six months, Núñez disappeared behind the far more complete Cody Gakpo, whose data in many aspects of the game is world-class (as I will show later in this piece, by way of a comparison).

You can, of course, round a square pegs harder edges. Yet is the time and effort worth the uncertain reward?

Núñez is a player who gave me great joy for the first two-thirds of the season, but the team only looked effective once he was out of the side (or freed from the centre).

Plus, right now, Núñez is probably still worth £50m, and while Liverpool can spend without selling, the more the Reds sell, the more they can spend.

(And you have someone like Marcus Thuram on the market for free, as just one example of a bargain out there.)

I wouldn't say that Liverpool must sell Núñez, but his failure to learn the language, the games missed by various little injuries and suspensions (all a bit similar to Naby Keïta), and his dropping to second-choice centre-forward and third-choice left-attacker, leaves the 3rd-biggest chunk of the club's transfer outlay on the bench.

Cissé was offloaded by Rafa Benítez in 2006, and a year later, Fernando Torres arrived.

Chelsea had a similar issue with Romelu Lukaku, who like Núñez this past season, scored a respectable 15 goals for the Blues in 2021/22, and who is clearly an elite striker in his own way (275 club goals, 72 international goals).

But at almost £100m he never really suited the team, and was in his late 20s. (Núñez's initial fee, by contrast, is £64m, and he's 23. The more Núñez plays, the costlier he will get; albeit if he stays and keeps playing, that will be justified.)

Like Núñez, Lukaku didn't press effectively, didn't come deep for the ball, and his first touch was erratic. Núñez led the league in 2022/23 for through-balls chased, but is that really Liverpool's game?

Núñez is a good point of difference, but is that enough? He's excellent at finding space in the box too, and has set up chances for others. But equally, too many attacks break down with his poor touch or a poor effort at goal, in between the moments of brilliant madness.

Things have obviously gone worse for Chelsea since Lukaku left (for various reasons, but mostly through buying far too many players, and destroying harmony and understanding), but that doesn't alter the fact that, while he was under a top manager, the team looked worse with him in the XI; even if 15 goals is something they'd love to have seen from a player this season.

However, while Thomas Tuchel was there, there seemed little point in shaping Lukaku to fit.

(I was a little surprised that they sold Timo Werner, who wasn't prolific but was super-fast and worked hard, and scored a similar amount to Lukaku with much more effort for the cause.)

The biggest problem Núñez has is that Cody Gakpo is a much better all-round footballer (in so many different ways that I will go on to detail later in the piece) and suits the system; he started almost every game since arriving, midseason at a time of chaos, and played 1,458 league minutes to Núñez's 1,695. Liverpool looked much, much better with Gakpo as the false 9 than Núñez as the traditional no.9, albeit Núñez had bright moments on the left. But left-attacker is overstocked as it is.

Without some major change – and it could be that it clicks for him with a proper preseason and a summer spent learning the language – I'm struggling to see Núñez as anything better than the 5th-choice attacker next season. In 2023, he was usurped by players who were not even 100% fit after long-term injuries.

I've seen Núñez in the flesh three times, each as the centre-forward, and he's been sent off for a brainless reaction (albeit hardly as dangerous as the challenge put in on Gakpo by Tyrone Mings), scored a fine header, and won a penalty, but Liverpool have not played well or created much in any of the games (apart from after he was dismissed against Palace).

The majority of this article is for subscribers only. I take a deeper dive into all aspects of Núñez's game, as well as a good long look at what Gakpo brings.