Nunez Liverpool Problem GFXGOAL

Jurgen Klopp's Darwin Nunez dilemma: Can Liverpool afford to carry a £64m substitute?

It's certainly curious that the build-up to Liverpool's Premier League meeting with Public Investment Fund-owned Newcastle United has been dominated by the revelation that Public Investment Fund-owned Al-Ittihad want to sign Mohamed Salah.

We already know, though, that there is absolutely no chance of Jurgen Klopp even entertaining the idea of selling his side's primary source of goals just a week before the close of the transfer window - finding a replacement for one of the game's great wingers in such a short period of time would be impossible.

However, it would have been very interesting had the Saudi Arabian side (Al-Ittihad - not Newcastle...) instead made a move for Salah's team-mate Darwin Nunez. The Reds' response would have been far less predictable.

Nunez may not boast Salah's god-like status on the Kop but the Uruguayan is a very popular player among the fans. He is a beloved agent of chaos: something dramatic happens each and every time he sets foot on the field. There's just no telling if it will be good or bad.

But Nunez's potential is obvious: he is tall, strong and exceptionally fast. He is also passionate and industrious, meaning he has all the makings of a classic Klopp No.9. He was even given Roberto Firmino's shirt this summer, following the Brazilian's move to Saudi Arabia.

Klopp himself has described Nunez as "a long-term project" and believes that the player he fell "in love" with when Liverpool faced Benfica in the Champions League last year will eventually develop into a world-class centre-forward. He's not there yet, though. Far from it, in fact, which is why a lucrative offer would have given Liverpool plenty of food for thought.

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