KEY POINTS

  • Liverpool signed Darwin Nunez in the 2022 summer
  • Nunez moved from Benfica to Liverpool on a six-year contract
  • Nunez has netted nine goals for Liverpool so far

Jurgen Klopp says he is not worried about Darwin Nunez's slow start at Liverpool FC, drawing comparisons to Robert Lewandowski's early career at Borussia Dortmund.

Liverpool signed Nunez from Benfica at a club-record fee of $102 million on a six-year contract in the summer of 2022. The Uruguayan forward has so far netted nine goals and four assists in 20 matches for Liverpool in all competitions.

Klopp said Lewandowski had a similar mixed form when he signed him for Dortmund from Lech Poznan in 2010.

"There are a lot of similarities, to be honest. I think Lewy would tell the same story. We had shooting sessions where he didn't finish off one. We had bets all the time for 10 euros - 'if you score more than 10 times, I will pay you 10; if you don't, you have to pay me'. My pocket was full of money! It's all about staying calm. When you see the potential, stay calm," Klopp said.

Justifying the price tag the Reds paid for him, Nunez had netted seven goals in 10 matches for Liverpool before the World Cup break. However, since the resumption of the 2022-23 season, Nunez has missed a number of big chances in Liverpool's 3-2 loss to Manchester City in the League Cup and again in their Boxing Day 3-1 victory over Aston Villa.

Left out: Darwin Nunez has started just one of Liverpool's last seven matches
AFP

However, Klopp is confident the 23-year-old will soon find his scoring touch again.

"I think we all agree that the potential is so obvious. I think it's clear when you see the second chance, the big chance in the second half [against Villa], he can run a little bit on an angle, and then he has a free choice, all these kinds of things. But it is all coming. You do it like this, the next time you do it like that," said Klopp in the same interview.

"I had this situation with Lewy but it is not only Lewy. He is the obvious comparison, I understand. It's just about staying calm and I am super calm. The team is calm as well, the team is completely convinced and that's really cool," he added.

Even though Nunez did not score in Liverpool's latest triumph at Villa Park, he set up teenager Stefan Bajcetic's maiden senior goal.

Soccer