‘He has to work harder’: Liverpool told 23-year-old has ‘struggled’ in pre-season

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Luis Garcia has claimed that Liverpool’s new signing, Darwin Nunez, has ‘struggled’ in pre-season, as he told ESPN.

The former Red made it clear that he is ‘not at all’ concerned about what he is seeing from the big-money summer signing, but Nunez does need to ‘work harder’.

Liverpool’s new arrival has double pressure on his shoulders, one being the transfer fee the club paid for his services and it’s Sadio Mane who he is replacing.

Whilst Nunez is a completely different player than Mane, and Luis Diaz also arrived in January, at the end of the day, the duo joined and left in the same window, so they will be compared in that way.

Either way, with fans of rivals having their moment in the sunshine by posting clips of Nunez’s struggles in pre-season, this is what Garcia had to say about the striker.

“No, not at all (on concerns about Nunez),” said Garcia. “He’s going to have to work harder because Liverpool play in a very different way to the way he was playing at Benfica.

“Benfica was playing for him. He was ready to receive the ball in those spaces and make a quick transition. He’s quick and strong. He’s very clever. His awareness and footballing intelligence is fantastic.

“But, after all of that, he has to track back and he has to press. The two games I have seen him play against Manchester United and Crystal Palace, he struggled.

“He wants to show that he’s going to be ready to play. Press at that high pressure that Liverpool is doing with Jurgen Klopp, but after three or four runs, he felt tired. I think it’s because he’s tired (on why he’s struggling). He needs to become physically ready to play at the level and the intensity that Liverpool plays.”

HOW WILL NUNEZ FAIR IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE?

Last season, Heung-min Son and Mo Salah were the ones who walked away with the Premier League Golden Boot.

Whilst Nunez has Salah alongside him at Anfield, many will be expecting him to compete for the same award next season.

But there is going to be serious competition for that individual trophy, including Manchester City’s new boy, Erling Haaland wanting to prove his worth following his summer transfer to the Premier League champions.

Harry Kane is another that will be vying for the Golden Boot, as well as Cristiano Ronaldo if he stays put at Manchester United.