Despite scoring on his competitive debut against Manchester City in the Community Shield, Nunez endured a rocky start to life at Anfield and found himself in and out of the starting 11. But now, with game time starting to become more frequent for the 24-year-old, there is a feeling that he could be about to explode into life.

Nunez goals will come if Klopp shows patience

It’s safe to say Nunez is a player who divides opinion. His erratic playing style can lead to mixed results, but his presence on the pitch certainly leads to havoc in attack, with some even having dubbed him the ‘King of Chaos’.

During his first season in England, that was often on display, but the Uruguay star was unable to match those performances with goals. Featuring 42 times for Liverpool in his maiden campaign for the Reds, Nunez managed just 15 goals across all competitions, with just nine of those coming in the Premier League.

Signed to lessen the goal burden on star player Mohamed Salah following fellow attacker Sadio Mane’s exit, it was clear Nunez hadn’t properly convinced Jurgen Klopp he was the man to lead the line for Liverpool as the season progressed. In fact, of Nunez’s 29 Premier League appearances, only 19 of them were from the start, with the ex-Benfica starlet spending close to half of the league campaign on the bench.

Not ideal for a club-record signing, Nunez has been able to show improvements this time around and is on course to at least match his tally for the previous season. So far from 17 outings across all competitions, Nunez has scored on seven different occasions, indicating he is finding the net at a more regular pace.

But, with the centre-forward still guilty of missing plenty of chances, there are claims he can be providing even more for his team.

Stats back up Nunez goal claim at Liverpool

While seven goals from 17 matches is a solid return for a striker competing at Premier League and European level, there is a feeling Nunez could still up his scoring rate even more.

That’s because, according to FBref, Nunez’s non-penalty xG comes in at around 0.72 per match, while his actual non-penalty goals scored is much lower than that figure. The £85 million, on average, scores once every other match, suggesting there is still plenty of room for improvement in front of goal.

And it’s that potential which has currently got people talking, with Jones insisting Nunez can go on and achieve plenty of impressive milestones while in a Liverpool shirt.

Dean Jones update – Darwin Nunez

When asked about Nunez’s start to the season and where he can improve his game, journalist Jones claimed that the Liverpool hierarchy aren’t worried about the chances he’s currently missing, because the striker is getting into those positions in the first place. Insisting he can become a 30-goal-a-season striker somewhere down the line, the reliable reporter had this to say to GIVEMESPORT:

“Keep putting him out there, even if he’s missing chances, being like ‘you’re only missing that chance because you’re still getting in the right places and the goals will come’. I think that Nunez in time is starting to learn that and while the level of performance is still not completely consistent, there is full belief that Nunez is going to turn into a 30-goal striker at Liverpool. And I think that this season, we’re starting to see the makings of that.”

Nunez goals crucial to Liverpool title push

Liverpool fans know all too well the effect missed chances from Nunez can have on the outcome of Reds matches, as in their recent draw to Luton Town, the forward missed an open net from no less than six yards out. Thankfully for Nunez, substitute Luis Diaz spared his blushes, as the fellow South American found an equaliser late on, but such wastefulness could cost Liverpool even more down the line.

That’s if they are to live up to expectations and challenge Manchester City for the Premier League title this season, with a grudge match between the two up next after the international break. Liverpool travel to City knowing a win would put them back on top of the table, with the contest likely to act as an indicator as to where the Reds are following a strong start to the season.