Darwin Nunez of Liverpool has been mocked on social media for his disappointing performance in Wednesday’s 1-0 defeat to Red Bull Salzburg.
Since his departure from Benfica, the Reds’ £85 million record signing has become a hot topic among Premier League supporters.
In his first two games for Jurgen Klopp’s side against Manchester United and Crystal Palace, the Uruguayan international failed to score.
The 23-year-old, though, made headlines last week when he came off the bench to score an incredible four goals against RB Leipzig.
However, after a video of Nunez’s worst moments from the first half of the match against Salzburg went viral, opposition supporters were ready to heap criticism on the striker.
The video, with the title “Darwin Nunez making easy things look impossible,” has already received 1.7 million views on Twitter and a number of reactions and quote tweets.
One opposition supporter thinks it was about time a new signing failed to take off at Anfield because the Reds have been astute movers and shakers in the transfer market.
Liverpool’s recruitment has been nearly flawless for many years; they are due a flop. Nunez might be quite pricey, which would be made worse by Sadio Mane’s departure. This season, they might be exposed, they said.
One fan took to Twitter to question the Uruguayan’s tactical fit into Klopp’s side. ‘I’m a Liverpool fan but bruh in all honesty this guy is not good, even his body language is not it, his not tactical and don’t have that killer monster we were looking for in him,’ they said.
Other fans were quick to compare the striker to Chelsea flop Romelu Lukaku, as one supporter claimed ‘they bought Lukaku’s twin for 100m’, while another simply replied ‘Romelu Nunez’ to the video.
In the pre-season match against Salzburg, it was another striker’s performance that drew widespread appreciation.
The only goal of the game at the Red Bull Arena was scored by Benjamin Sesko, who has been heavily linked with a transfer to Manchester United. This excitement among fans of the Red Devils was evident.
The Premier League is notoriously challenging for foreign players to adjust to, with many high-profile arrivals finding it difficult to find their feet.
And fans fear that Nunez mights suffer a similar fate, with one remarking: ‘There’s probably a good player in there, I mean it has to be… they paid 100m for him. But my goodness he looks panicked, he rushes everything. He has the potential to be a meme machine in the premier league… and I am here for it!’
Another supporter stated that he would be shocked if Nunez ‘registered 10 plus league goals’ next season.
Last season, the striker had a productive season with Benfica, scoring 26 goals in just 28 Primeira Liga games. In addition, Nunez scored six goals in the Champions League last year, including one against his new team, Liverpool, at Anfield in the quarterfinals.
Reds supporters are hopeful that their record signing will be a smashing success on these shores because they are well aware of the Uruguayan’s ability.
And this coming weekend, when Liverpool take on Manchester City in the Community Shield at the King Power Stadium on Saturday, Nunez will have the chance to dispel any concerns about his talent.
