Jamie Carragher had spoken about Darwin Nunez, saying the Liverpool’s record signing could become a ‘real player’ despite being ‘very raw’.
Nunez, who joined Liverpool in an £85million move from Benfica last summer, scored his seventh goal of the campaign in the 2-0 Champions League victory over Napoli on Tuesday.
The 23-year-old has now scored five goals in his last seven appearances despite Jurgen Klopp’s team struggling in the Premier League.
While Nunez has shown an appetite in front of goal, he has also been criticised for some poor finishing and Carragher concedes he is ‘very raw’.
But the former Liverpool defender says Nunez’s stats are ‘scary’ and has backed the Uruguayan star to be a success at Anfield.
‘It’s really interesting watching Nunez, he comes on and makes a huge impact,’ Carragher said on CBS Sports. ‘He hasn’t set the world alight. He hasn’t done what Haaland has done. And people are expecting more for the price-tag.
‘But when you actually look at the minutes he has been on the pitch, and how many goals he has scored per-minute, his numbers are actually scary. So he’s actually made a huge impact.
‘But there is something not quite there where Jurgen Klopp is going to play him every single game. He’s still searching for a system and how to fit him in.
‘Nunez is very, very raw. But I think there is something, I wouldn’t say special because that’s a bit too much, but you can’t take your eyes off him when you watch him play.
‘I think Liverpool have got a real player – the physical attributes of pace and power feels, to me, that he will be a right handful in the future.’
- Henry reveals the mistake Darwin Nunez is making at Liverpool
- Mo Salah makes Liverpool formation point to Klopp after Reds beat Napoli
- Ferdinand names three teams he would ‘put his house’ on to finish in the Premier League top four
Late goals from Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez saw Liverpool end Napoli’s perfect Champions League record at Anfield but the Reds still had to settle for second place in Group A.
‘We all agreed that we have to show a reaction [from a shock home defeat to Leeds United] and we did in a very difficult game against a really good opponent,’ Klopp said.
‘I don’t think anybody doubts that quality, but we don’t show it with consistency. We are Liverpool, a top team.
‘Nobody forgot what we did last year, the boys didn’t forget that – but it’s now not important really. I know people might get sick of it, but we really have to fight through and, at the moment, the real football we can play has a good chance to come back.
‘We showed pieces of really, really, really good football and the defensive stuff was on a high level.
‘Napoli are at the moment a real force and so it could have been extremely difficult for us, but the boys played a really good game.’
