Liverpool have "lots of work to do" with Darwin Nunez next season, according to Redmen TV presenter Ste Hoare.
The Uruguayan international joined Liverpool in the summer of 2022 for a club-record fee of £85m, but the Liverpool expert believes that the enigmatic forward isn't the best player available in any frontline position at the club.
Has Darwin Nunez had a good first season?
After arriving from Benfica, Nunez has had an interesting first season on Merseyside, with incredible highs balanced out with embarrassing lows.
The 23-year-old made 42 appearances for Liverpool across all competitions, and registered 15 goals and four assists, with his highlights being a brace in the Reds' historic 7-0 victory against arch-rivals Manchester United, as well as a fantastic opening goal in Liverpool's first-leg clash against LaLiga giants Real Madrid.
However, it hasn't been all positive for the former Almeria whiz, with moments such as his debut red card against Crystal Palace at Anfield, whilst a whopping 20 big chances missed in the Premier League gives further cause for concern.
The 6 foot 2 forward has found himself falling down the pecking order as well following the arrival of Cody Gakpo in January in tandem with the return from injury of both Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz, with the striker only starting three of the club's final 12 league games.
What has Ste Hoare said about Darwin Nunez and Liverpool?
Speaking on Nunez's situation at the club, the Redmen TV presenter told Football FanCast:
"There’s a question mark of how he fits into the team. Because he isn’t the best left option. And he isn’t the best forward option.
"Jota and Diaz are both better than him on the left, and at this moment in time, Gakpo and Jota are both better than him up front, so I think there is lots of work to be done on Darwin Nunez, to be honest with you."
What does the future hold for Darwin Nunez in Liverpool?
Liverpool won't give up on the £140k-per-week star just yet, with manager Jurgen Klopp stating before the Red's clash with Nottingham Forest in April that the situation is a "long-term project".
Whilst on the face of it, Nunez has had a mediocre campaign, his underlying numbers paint the picture of a player with all the potential to become one of the most feared attackers in European football.
His non-penalty expected goals + assists per 90 is 0.97, which according to FBref, is among the top 1% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues, showcasing that should Nunez become more clinical and decisive, he could be contributing almost a goal a game.
Liverpool supporters will be hoping that the Uruguayan has a similar trajectory as his time at Benfica, where after a disappointing first campaign, the Uruguayan attacker burst to life, having scored 34 goals in 41 games across all competitions.