"There are a lot of similarities" - Jurgen Klopp compares Liverpool's Darwin Nunez to Barcelona superstar
Liverpool head coach Jurgen Klopp has compared Darwin Nunez to Barcelona ace Robert Lewandowski. He claimed that the latter also underwent a tough time finding his feet while at Borussia Dortmund.
Nunez, 23, has recently made headlines due to his inconsistent finishing in front of goal for Liverpool. Since arriving from Benfica for an initial fee of £64 million earlier this summer, he has scored nine goals and laid out four assists in 20 appearances across all competitions.
Jurgen Klopp loves Darwin Nunez ❤️ https://t.co/0q7uShi3MB
On the other hand, Klopp signed Lewandowski for Dortmund from Lech Poznan in 2010 and helped him establish himself as one of the best strikers of all time. However, the Pole endured a difficult debut campaign for BVB, registering just nine goals and four assists in 43 matches.
Speaking at a pre-match press conference, Klopp drew parallels between Nunez and Lewandowski's start at Dortmund. He said:
"There are a lot of similarities, to be honest. I think Lewi would tell the same story. We had shooting sessions where he didn't finish off one. We had bets all the time for €10 where I said: 'If you score more than 10 times, I will pay you €10 and if you don't, you have to pay me.' My pocket was always full of money."
Further sharing his thoughts on the Barcelona striker, Klopp continued:
"When I started playing Lewandowski, the journalists asked me why Lucas Barrios was not playing. He had scored 16 goals that season and was the #9 in our team. So Lewi started playing in different positions to adapt to different things. The Polish journalists were not too friendly because he didn't play as a striker."
Slamming the media's criticism of the Uruguayan, Klopp added:
"It's all about staying calm. When you see the potential, stay calm. It is so difficult in the world we are living in. I don't mean this personally but it's because of [the media] making a big fuss of everything, then the supporters, social media and all these kinds of things. The more you can shut off that, the better it is."
Vamos, @Darwinn99 👊 https://t.co/kjASzGYRvN
Nunez is next set to be in action for Liverpool during their Premier League home clash against Leicester City on Friday (December 30).
Liverpool star Darwin Nunez emerges as transfer target for Real Madrid: Reports
According to Defensa Central, Real Madrid are keeping tabs on Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez with the intention of roping him in as a replacement for the aging Karim Benzema. Arsenal's Gabriel Jesus and Tottenham Hotspur's Richarlison are also on Los Blancos' radar.
Nunez, who represented Uruguay at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar earlier this month, shot to prominence with his world-class exploits for Benfica last season. He scored 34 goals and contributed four assists in 41 matches across all competitions for the Primeira Liga side.
Benzema, on the other hand, is in the final phase of his career despite bagging the 2022 Ballon d'Or award earlier this year. The 35-year-old has been plagued with a host of injuries this campaign, registering just six goals in 12 overall appearances for Carlo Ancelotti's outfit.