Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez has made a drastic decision on social media following criticism of his recent performances.
Darwin Nunez, 25, has found himself in a limited role at Liverpool since Arne Slot’s appointment this summer. The Dutch manager has favored Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, and Mohamed Salah in his starting XI, resulting in reduced playing time for Nunez and others like Cody Gakpo in the early part of the season.
Nunez, who joined Liverpool for up to £85 million in 2022, has not scored yet this season and has played just 84 minutes. He came on in the second half of Tuesday’s Champions League match against AC Milan but failed to make a significant impact, even as Liverpool secured a 3-1 victory.
Following criticism on social media regarding his performance, Nunez has made his Instagram account private. This is not the first time he has responded to online backlash; in May, he deleted all Liverpool-related posts amid transfer speculation. He previously admitted that negative comments affected him, stating that while he tries to ignore them, they can still be hard to dismiss.
Liverpool fans have rallied to support Nunez online, with some urging others to leave him alone after the recent criticism.
“They need to stop the online abuse,” another supporter commented.
Since his transfer from Benfica, Nunez has recorded 33 goals and 17 assists in 100 appearances, but he has faced criticism for being wasteful in front of goal.
Last month, Liverpool manager Arne Slot emphasized the importance of the team supporting Nunez and other attackers to maximize their scoring opportunities.
“If we can position our attackers—him included—into dangerous areas, they will score,” Slot explained. “We’ve seen this in pre-season, where we converted even minimal chances into goals.
“It’s our responsibility to help him, Diogo, and others find those promising positions, and then they will find the back of the net.”
