Stan Collymore has implored Liverpool to part company with one ‘robotic’ player in Arne Slot’s squad to pave the way for a ‘massive upgrade’ to come in.
Speculation continues to mount over the future of Darwin Nunez, with Atletico Madrid reportedly plotting an offer for the Reds’ number 9, who according to Fabrizio Romano was amenable to a transfer to the Saudi Pro League in January before Anfield chiefs vetoed an exit.
If the Uruguayan is to depart, his place in the squad could plausibly be taken by Alexander Isak, with the Merseyside giants understood to have contacted people ‘close to’ the Newcastle striker.
Collymore makes a case for Nunez/Isak swap deal
In his latest column for CaughtOffside, Collymore opined that this summer might be the time for Liverpool to cut their losses with Nunez, believing the 25-year-old to be not at the required standard.
The former Reds striker wrote: “Darwin Nunez arrived at Liverpool as a very confident player, and now he looks too robotic – and that is probably because of the pressure that he is under at Anfield, which is a complete kettle of fish compared to what he experienced at Benfica.
“He just does not look confident, composed or relaxed, even if his goal output is not as bad as many people make it out to be. The longer that this pressure remains, the harder it will become for him, and it has already started to affect his decision-making on the pitch, and especially in front of goal.
“Nunez has definitely been affected by his Liverpool experience, and I think that he should leave – simply put, he is not up to the standards needed at Liverpool, which can be very unforgiving.”
Collymore then made the case for what’d be an eye-catching swap deal involving the Uruguayan and Isak, saying: “Isak would be a massive upgrade on Nunez. His all-round play is what Liverpool need in a striker, and in my opinion, I think it could benefit Newcastle to take Nunez.
“There is certainly a player in there, but he is not someone that can handle player for a club like Liverpool that brings so much scrutiny and pressure. He would be a really good fit at Newcastle, and their supporters would love him.”
How do the numbers stack up between Nunez and Isak?
There are uncanny similarities between the respective arrivals of Nunez and Isak in England. Both came to the Premier League in the summer of 2022, with the Uruguay striker costing Liverpool an initial £64m and the Swede joining Newcastle for a near-identical fee of £63m.
However, while the Reds’ number 9 has shipped seemingly incessant criticism throughout his three years at Anfield, the Magpies’ Scandinavian marksman has seen his profile and value skyrocket since pitching up at St James’ Park.
There could hardly be a greater contrast to their respective fortunes this season. While Nunez has managed just seven goals in 1,882 minutes on the pitch (268.86 minutes per goal), Isak has found the net 23 times from 2,613 minutes of action (113.6 minutes per goal), 10 of those since the start of January alone.
Looking at the duo’s underlying numbers, the Swede also comes out on top for xG per 90 minutes (0.68 to 0.46), shot on target percentage (46.3% to 40%), shots on target per game (2.94 to 2.78) and goal-creating actions per match (0.57 to 0.37), via FBref.
Those figures suggest that there isn’t a massive gulf between the two in terms of overall performances, but clearly the Newcastle man has been far more clinical in terms of taking his chances.
It’s hard not to feel that – as Collymore put it – Isak would be an ‘upgrade’ on Nunez in terms of finishing ability, but the Uruguayan striker is better than many pundits in this country give him credit for, and he has enough raw talent to go on and thrive elsewhere if he were to leave Liverpool in the summer.
