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Jurgen Klopp made a mistake with Darwin Nunez at Liverpool which could cost the club millions now

Jamie Brown

Thu 20 February 2025 14:15, UK

Liverpool will be kicking themselves for the mistake Jurgen Klopp made in the summer of 2023 with Darwin Nunez following the striker’s latest poor showing.

Nunez had another evening to forget in Liverpool colours as the Uruguayan spurned several chances as his team dropped points away at Aston Villa.

The striker missed a golden opportunity to give the Reds the lead after 59 minutes as Dominik Szoboszlai squared the ball to Nunez who blasted his effort over from just a few yards out.

The 25-year-old looks shot of confidence and with Arne Slot unable to count on him in the Premier League title race, it will only make Klopp’s mistake even more painful for the Merseyside club.

Chelsea wanted Darwin Nunez from Liverpool but Jurgen Klopp blocked it

During the summer transfer window of 2023, Chelsea were ‘super keen’ to sign Darwin Nunez, however, Jurgen Klopp blocked the move for the former Benfica man, as per Fabrizio Romano.

The Blues’ hunt for a striker led them to Nunez and they really pushed to make it happen but Liverpool saw him as a ‘crucial player for the present and future’.

Speaking in April 2024, Romano told : “At the end of the last summer transfer window, in the final weeks when they were looking for a striker, they really tried to bring in Darwin Nunez.

“They really had conversations to make it happen but for Liverpool, it was a clear ‘No’.

“What I heard is that Jurgen Klopp said no to that move, and really wanted to keep a crucial player for the present and future of Liverpool, but Chelsea were super keen on Darwin Nunez.”

Nunez is ‘likely to leave Liverpool’ next summer with Saudi Arabia expected to renew their interest in the forward and the Reds will hope they don’t lose out on too much money from his sale.

Just how bad was Darwin Nunez’s shocking miss vs Aston Villa?

Nunez’s miss against Aston Villa was ‘one of the worst of the year’, according to Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler.

Speaking on TNT Sport, Fowler said: “It’s a really bad miss, probably up there with one of the worst we’ve seen this year!”

Statistically, the former striker was not wrong either with Nunez’s chance ranking as the sixth-highest xG miss of the Premier League season.

Liverpool will hope the missed chance from Nunez won’t prove too costly in the title race similar to their decision to reject Chelsea’s offer for the striker in 2023.