Ian Wright names Liverpool star who could turn Arne Slot's side into 'massive problem'

Premier League pundit Ian Wright has labeled Darwin Nunez a potentially "massive problem" for Manchester City and Arsenal — if Arne Slot can unlock him at Liverpool. The ex-Gunners man, though, is running out of patience with the Uruguayan, who is not the first-choice pick as the Reds' number nine, even though he cost a club-record transfer fee.

"Can you imagine if Nunez could score consistently?" he said on the Wrighty’s House podcast. "That’s a lot of money to pay for a squad player. I see Diogo Jota as the main man; [Nunez] is an impact player, and that’s a lot of money for an impact player."

There has long been a hope that Nunez could suddenly burst into life at Liverpool . The 25-year-old has had some big moments since signing from Benfica but has never quite managed to make the number nine shirt his own.

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"I’ve seen enough of him now," Wright said. "I thought at some stage it would click for him, but it’s not clicked in for him. If it clicked in for him then Liverpool are definitely one of the favorites with a firing Darwin Nunez... I’m telling you, it’s a massive problem."

Nunez is away with his international teammates at the moment after his ban was cut short. It is possible that he could benefit from playing a couple of matches having mainly been on the bench under Slot so far since the Dutch head coach arrived.

"It’s always difficult because players, but also the media, only think you have confidence in a player if you play him," Slot said of Nunez a couple of weeks ago just before he scored an excellent goal against Bournemouth .

"We have confidence in all of them. Otherwise, you don’t bring a player in if you’re 3-1 up half an hour before the end, or last week against Nottingham Forest, he came in half an hour before the end. There’s a lot of confidence in him.

"But there are two players for that position and I could even come up with more who could play in that position – he is in competition with Diogo who has done really well. But many games have to be played and there will be enough time to judge Darwin: if he improves and how he improves and if he can do special things for the club."

Liverpool.com says: Slot could yet unlock the best from Nunez but this season is a big one for the striker . If he is still in the same position after three full years at Anfield, that might point to the progress he could make being limited.