"Might have moved to England too early in his career" - Liverpool star told he should not have made the switch to Anfield

Greece national team manager Gus Poyet is of the opinion that Darwin Nunez's summer move to Liverpool might have come a bit too soon in his career.

The Uruguayan boss believes that his fellow countryman didn't allow himself a smooth transition to the Premier League while admitting that he has the potential to become a great striker.

Nunez completed a move to Anfield from Benfica before the summer window closed in a deal potentially worth up to €100 million. This massive price tag undeniably comes with an incredible amount of pressure to score goals for the young striker.

However, he has found it difficult to live up to these expectations in a rather average start to the 2022-23 campaign. The former Benfica forward has only scored two goals in the Premier League for the Reds so far.

The striker's lack of composure was on display in Liverpool's 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace as well when he was sent off for headbutting Joachim Andersen. These circumstances have sprouted doubts about whether Liverpool's decision to splurge on Nunez was hasty and imprudent.

Poyet told Safe Betting Sites (via Express):

“He didn’t allow himself a smooth adaptation to the league. The red card meant suddenly everybody was on top of him. He made a huge mistake with that headbutt [against Crystal Palace] and he's been under the microscope ever since."

"There are certain decisions where I question him - for example against City, he decided to shoot when he had a chance to pass and he didn't. Nunez might have moved to England too early in his career. Liverpool need to start playing better as a team, but I think he has all the attributes to be an incredible striker.”

“He’s a machine!" - Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp heaps praise on Darwin Nunez

Liverpool head coach Jurgen Klopp has lavished praise on Nunez despite his recent struggles in front of goal. The Reds boss spoke about the forward ahead of his side's clash against West Ham at Anfield on Wednesday (October 19).

He said (via the club's official YouTube channel):

“I like his impact, really. He’s a machine! He’s physically incredibly strong. In training, he gets better every day. You can see it. You can really see it, how he settles more and more."

"He’s in the team now, 100%. He’s really arrived completely. Of course, he wants to score more goals – and set up more goals, as well! But always, it takes time.”