Liverpool's £64m new boy Nunez scores FOUR as Reds rout RB Leipzig in pre-season clash

Darwin Nunez scored four goals during Liverpool's rout of RB Leipzig at Red Bull Arena on Thursday night. The £64 million ($77m) summer signing shone after coming off the bench in the second half.

Mohamed Salah also got in on the act as Liverpool made it two wins out of three in pre-season, but Nunez stole all the headlines after opening his scoring account following his big-money summer move from Benfica.

Nunez nets four goals on first Liverpool start

Nunez was guilty of missing clear chances against Manchester United and Crystal Palace, with some fans subsequently labelling him a "flop" on social media.

The Uruguayan has issued the perfect response to his critics with a clinical display against Leipzig, with his first goal for the Reds coming from the penalty spot.

The 23-year-old showed excellent composure to finish after being played in by Trent Alexander-Arnold for his second, and completed his hat-trick after tapping home a Harvey Elliott cross from close range.

Liverpool's new No.9 wasn't done after that, however, as he added a fourth in the 90th minute with a curling low shot that left the Leipzig goalkeeper with his head in his hands once again.

What did Klopp say about Nunez's performance?

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp was delighted to see Nunez silence his doubters, as he told reporters post-match: "That's the best way obviously to stop all these discussions.

"We always think that if you pay a lot of money then the players feel no pressure or whatever. They are all completely normal human beings and the first touch is not perfect then all of a sudden.

"This generation of players read social media, which is really not smart, but they do. All of a sudden you get in a rush and these kinds of things.

"He's a different striker to what we have or what we had, but he's a really good one.

"That's of course a perfect night for him."

What's next for Liverpool?

Liverpool will now look ahead to their next friendly outing against Red Bull Salzburg on June 27.

Nunez and Co have a Community Shield final clash with Manchester City to prepare for three days later - while their 2022-23 Premier League opener against Fulham is scheduled for August 6.