Rickie Lambert has claimed that one Liverpool player has the potential to be as impactful as Fernando Torres was at Anfield.
Arne Slot will have plenty of key decisions to make when he arrives in Merseyside ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
The Dutchman is inheriting a talented squad after Jurgen Klopp’s departure but there are a few players who face a defining season ahead.
Darwin Nunez certainly falls into that category after a difficult end to the season under Klopp. The Uruguayan found himself amongst the substitutes for the final four games of the campaign after a poor run of form.
Nunez netted just twice and provided one assist in Liverpool’s final 12 league games, with his dip coming at the worst possible time for the Reds.
It has been claimed that Slot believes Nunez boasts ‘extraordinary attributes’ and views him as a key part of his project at the club.
Now, former Liverpool striker Rickie Lambert has urged the club to show patience with the 24-year-old, claiming he could reach a similar level to that of Fernando Torres.
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Lambert says Darwin Nunez could be as good as Torres
Torres’ time at Anfield ended on a sour note after he completed a £50 million switch to Chelsea back in January 2011.
But the Spaniard remains one of the best strikers we’ve seen at Liverpool during the Premier League era.
Lambert believes Nunez could have a similar impact in Merseyside and that Liverpool would regret offloading the striker.
“I can see the potential in him,” he told talkSPORT [23/05 9:16am]. “I love him the way he is, if he stays just the way he is, I love him.
“But I can see him being as impactful as Fernando Torres. That’s where I can see Nunez. We’ve got to stick with him.
“The next manager’s got to get him on the training pitch, repetition on them shots, every angle, left foot and right foot. Within a few months, a year, them chances will start going in.
“His all-round game is already there. He can hold it up and he can get in behind. A player at the top level that can do that, you can’t let them go.”
Lambert added: “If we let him go, without a doubt he’s going to turn into a world-class player somewhere else.”
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Torres and Nunez’s first two seasons at Liverpool compared
Nunez has displayed all the attributes to become a top player at Liverpool, barring his composure in the final third.
Torres was certainly a player who didn’t lack when it came to his finishing as he netted 81 goals in 142 appearances for Liverpool.
In his first two Premier League seasons at Merseyside, the striker found the back of the net 38 times in 57 appearances.
As for Nunez, he’s netted just 20 times in 65 league games while providing 11 assists since joining from Benfica two summers ago.