FSG must take £60m bid for Liverpool dud who was nearly as costly as Trent

Manchester United brought Anfield back down to earth on Sunday, well worth their point in the Premier League and almost stealing a crushing victory against high-flying Liverpool, save for Harry Maguire’s last-gasp miss.

Liverpool have a game in hand on second-placed Arsenal and boast a six-point advantage, but Ruben Amorim was the happier of the gaffers as he capered back down the M62 with a new sense of optimism.

Arne Slot’s side have been immense this season, recording a dynamic variation of victories across multiple competitions. For the most part, they’re playing like champions-elects. They have that swagger, that style. But they are not champions-elects—not yet.

So much of football is about how you respond. Liverpool have responded emphatically to any setbacks this term and must do so again over the coming weeks, with Tottenham awaiting in the Carabao Cup and top-flight away fixtures against Nottingham Forest and Brentford forthcoming.

Slot is regarded as a “tactical genius” by Liverpool fans, but he didn’t get it quite right against the Red Devils. Of course, he was let down and then some by that man, Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Trent’s performance vs Man Utd

After Liverpool drew 2-2 against their biggest rivals, Slot insisted that Alexander-Arnold was not distracted by Real Madrid’s interest in his prized signature.

Out of contract at the end of the season and courted by the Spanish superpower, it’s difficult to shake the thought that his woeful display on Sunday was not in some way inflicted by the circumstances.

He wasn’t at his best, not by half. Loose marking and a failure to show the grit and guts that a title-chasing outfit – his boyhood outfit – requires, especially after rivals dropped points on Saturday, especially given that it was Manchester United up against them.

But then, surely this scales back to display the bigger picture. Alexander-Arnold is an exceptional footballer and has showcased his unique and devastating quality on so many occasions in Slot’s set-up. Is it really surprising that now, with the spotlight beading into his watery eyes, he should falter?

Real Madrid are there, lurking like a shadowed figure in a trench coat, waiting to emerge and take what they deem to be theirs.

Regardless of how this will pan out, Alexander-Arnold is bound to have felt the Los Blancos presence lurking in some recess of his mind. He second-guessed himself, looked languid.

United targetted Liverpool’s right-hand side and fair play to them. It was a game plan well executed, to be sure. Alexander-Arnold failed to win any of his five attempted ground duels and only created one key pass (his season average is 2.2 per game) despite losing the ball 27 times.

Many will call for Conor Bradley to start in the Carabao Cup semi-final on Wednesday after his “lively cameo,” but not all of Slot’s bench made the desired impact.

Darwin Nunez left plenty to be desired in spite of his fleeting appearance, and the noise is rising around his future too.

Liverpool open to mega-money Nunez sale

Liverpool know that their non-committal contract trio could all be plying their elite art elsewhere later this year, but they aren’t the only ones touted for a potential Merseyside exit.

As per Football Insider, Nunez has been made available for transfer by Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes, with FSG willing to accept £60m for his sale.

Whether anyone would pay this hefty sum remains to be seen, but Newcastle are reported to have an interest and AC Milan have had a sniff in recent weeks.

Why Liverpool should sell Darwin Nunez

Nunez’s first two campaigns at Liverpool were overshadowed by wastefulness in front of goal. Albeit, the Uruguay international made headway last season, winning the Carabao Cup and posting 18 goals and 13 assists across all competitions.

Jurgen Klopp’s style of football was more chaotic than that of his successor, so maybe Nunez’s own frenetic qualities aligned neatly, insofar as Nunez’s style could be described as neat.

Since Klopp signed Benfica’s Nunez in a deal rising to a club-record £85m fee, he has scored 37 goals and supplied 20 assists over 120 appearances.

Under Slot, he’s found his significance reduced and potency pared back, with just four goals and three assists to show for the campaign thus far. It’s quite clear, Federico Chiesa notwithstanding, that he is at the bottom of Liverpool’s talented forward pile.

The fluency of Liverpool’s attacking point under Slot’s wing has led to slick interchangeability between Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo in recent months, with Diaz operating as a fluid number nine and his Dutch partner wreaking havoc on the left flank, cutting inward to strike.

Upon doing so, Diaz drifts outward, keeping the skeletal structure intact and dragging defenders out, keeping them guessing.

With no disrespect, Nunez simply doesn’t show the required tactical understanding to play this role to the same level. Diogo Jota, when introduced from the bench, is arguably Liverpool’s deadliest finisher, ranking among the top 7% of forwards across the whole of Europe over the past year for non-penalty goals scored per 90, as per FBref.

Nunez is an energetic player, but is that really enough when his peers bring bouncing qualities of their own, and many more besides?

In Slot’s system, the 26-year-old is not so much wasteful as unable to strike with the same regularity. As per Sofascore, he’s averaging 1.4 shots per game in the Premier League this term, regressing from his totals across his first two campaigns on English shores, 3.0 and 2.9 respectively.

Brought onto the field for the final 30 minutes against Man United, Nunez had a grand total of three touches, not even attempting to make a pass and picking up a yellow after barging into Matthjis De Ligt – some might say that the offence was worthy of a different colour.

Alexander-Arnold was the costliest Redman at the weekend, of that there is no doubt, but Nunez nearly cost Liverpool once more on the day with his erratic nature an inability to showcase the kind of control and link-up play that Slot will demand of him.

He’s a lovely guy and capable of roof-raising moments, but is this really worth it, Liverpool fans? Does Nunez elevate this exciting project, should he remain on the books over the coming years?

Just imagine if Newcastle’s Alexander Isak plied his trade at the club. Liverpool have reportedly been linked in recent weeks. Why not break the bank?

Hey, if FSG recoup somewhere even on the far fringes of the £60m ballpark for Nunez’s signature, there’s no reason – or excuse – not to dive headfirst for a brand-new number nine to turn this exciting season into a long dynasty.