Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez has made a drastic decision on social media following criticism of his recent performances.
Nunez, 25, has taken on a limited role at Liverpool since Arne Slot’s arrival this summer. The Dutch coach has favored Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, and Mohamed Salah in his starting XI, resulting in reduced playing time for Nunez and Cody Gakpo in the early part of the season.
The Uruguayan, who joined Liverpool for up to £85 million in 2022, has yet to score this season and has only played 84 minutes in total. He came on in the second half of Tuesday’s Champions League match against AC Milan but failed to make a significant impact in Liverpool’s 3-1 victory at San Siro.
Following his performance, Nunez faced backlash on social media and subsequently made his Instagram account private due to the criticism. This isn’t the first instance of him reacting to fan scrutiny; in May, he deleted all Liverpool-related posts amidst transfer rumors.
Nunez has acknowledged that online criticism has affected him, stating, “There will always be someone to criticize you.” He admitted that he used to pay more attention to negative comments, which impacted him, but now tries to ignore them, focusing instead on his family for support.
Liverpool fans have rallied around Nunez online, with one supporter expressing frustration at the criticism: “Leave the guy alone, for goodness’ sake!”
“They should stop the online abuse,” another fan added.
Since joining Liverpool from Benfica, Nunez has scored 33 goals and provided 17 assists in 100 appearances, though he has faced criticism for his finishing.
Last month, Liverpool manager Slot emphasized the team’s role in maximizing Nunez’s potential. “If we can create opportunities for our attackers—him included—they will score,” he stated. “We demonstrated this in pre-season by converting chances, even when they were minimal.”
Slot highlighted the need to position Nunez and other forwards in advantageous situations to help them find the net, noting, “If we do that, he and the rest will score goals.”
