Darwin Núñez is struggling at Liverpool so far. Now he admits he doesn’t understand a word the coach says

Darwin Núñez is historically the most expensive acquisition of Liverpool, in the summer he came to the English club for a sum (including bonuses) around 100 million euros. However, he has not yet lived up to the high expectations. What is holding back the Uruguayan striker?

When Darwin Núñez came to Liverpool, English fans had high expectations from him. And no wonder, his price tag was really high.

Núñez started his debut match very well. In the FA Community Shield against Manchester City, he shadowed star Erling Haaland. Unlike him, he scored a goal, and he only came on in the 59th minute.

He also scored in his first league game against Fulham and looked like he would be challenging for the Premier League top scorer position.

However, everything changed with the game against Crystal Palace. The Uruguayan didn’t hold his nerve, got provoked by defender Andersen and incomprehensibly headed him in the jaw. The referee didn’t hesitate and showed him a red card, which meant a stoppage for the next three games.

Núñez has struggled since returning to the Liverpool line-up. He hasn’t scored in his last five games. True, he has sometimes popped in as a substitute, but still, much more is expected from a footballer of his quality.

A difficult adaptation for the Uruguayan star

Darwin Núñez admitted in a recent interview with TNT Sports that he struggles with the language barrier: “The truth is that I honestly don’t understand anything the coach says. We don’t speak much. I don’t know English and he doesn’t know Spanish. It’s difficult to adapt, but it’s getting better with time. I have the support of my teammates…”

“Of course I ask the others so I know what to do. But I think he (editor’s note: Jürgen Klopp) is very clear about the style of play. He wants us to do simple things, not to be afraid to play the game, to be confident and as soon as we lose the ball he wants us to press,“ Núñez added.

He also commented on his red card: ‘ It was very difficult. I missed three games. I know I made a big mistake and I’m aware that it won’t happen again. I have to calm down during the game, talk less. We all make mistakes, I know I will learn from it and it will serve me for new experiences.”

We will see if Núñez really learns from his mistakes and builds on his fine performances from the opening round of the season in the next round of the Premier League. Liverpool take on Arsenal away from home.

Sources: BBC, Dailymail, Transfermarkt