Liverpool legend Michael Owen suggests that Darwin Nunez could serve as an ideal replacement for Mohamed Salah in the event of the Egyptian winger’s departure for Saudi Arabia.
Salah, currently recovering from a hamstring injury, has been consistently linked with a move to the Gulf state, and has been widely tipped to leave Anfield in the summer.
With Salah’s significant impact on Liverpool’s success over the past seven years, the club face the challenge of finding a suitable replacement. Drawing on his expertise in Premier League goal-scoring, Owen names Nunez as a promising candidate to fill void left by Salah, provided the Uruguayan forward continues his positive development trajectory.
“Nunez is a player that has divided opinion,” said Owen on talkSPORT. “I think he’s very raw in some of his play, but I also think he’s exceptional in some of his play. When you think of Liverpool for the future, it’s obviously not going to be with Salah forever.
“Somebody is going to have to step up, or they’re going to have to replace him with someone that’s going to try and replace his goals. This guy [Nunez] is probably the one guy in the team that’s got the scope to be able to do that. I see him developing into an absolute force in the Premier League.
“I still think he could go the other way. I still think he’s not the full package yet, but he does things that absolutely blow your mind. He’s so strong, he’s so direct, he’s so quick and he’s got so much ability. If he can just brush up in certain areas he could be the real deal.”
Nunez, who joined Liverpool from Benfica in the summer of 2022, has consistently delighted fans with his distinctive playing style. In their recent Premier League match against Bournemouth, where Salah was absent, Nunez showcased his brilliance by scoring a remarkable brace. His outstanding performance played a pivotal role in Liverpool securing a commanding 4-0 victory.
Jurgen Klopp expressed his unwavering confidence in Nunez earlier this season. The Reds’ manager emphasised that Nunez possesses significant potential and can fully realise it by maintaining a diligent work ethic to consistently bring out the best in himself.
“The speed, the finishing skills, the desire he has… when he’s fit he is really fit so he can go and go again,” said Klopp. “You just don’t know where he will end up. He came in for really big money. It shows again that players need time. We forget that.
“With [Wataru] Endo, just because of the age people think: ‘Why is he not like that?’. He is a different character to the other boys and you can see the steps he is making. He has another five years of top football in his legs. He has a lot of potential and he never played on this level before.
“Now consistently I am really happy with him, so that’s the same story [with Nunez]. People always say: ‘How long will it take?’. But Darwin is here, Darwin is fully here and it’s different. It’s good for him.”
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