Jurgen Klopp has stated that there should be no guessing about the future of the unfortunate Liverpool striker, Darwin Nunez, as they prepare to face Aston Villa.

Jurgen Klopp, the Liverpool manager, has come to the defence of striker Darwin Nunez amidst criticism of his finishing. Klopp stated that there is “no speculation” over Nunez’s future and that he has been “unlucky in so many situations”.

Nunez, who joined Liverpool from Benfica in a record-breaking £85m deal two years ago, has missed 27 big chances in the Premier League this season, second only to Manchester City’s Erling Haaland. Recently, Nunez deleted most of his Liverpool-related posts from his Instagram profile.

Klopp defended Nunez, saying, “There’s no speculation. That must be an external speculation, because I don’t know about it. Darwin was definitely not happy missing that chance (against Spurs). He was unlucky in so many situations, where he’s doing everything right, then the ball still doesn’t go in. It’s really tough for a young man. He knows about the expectations, he has big expectations for himself. He has to go through it. It’s part of a footballer’s career. That’s all.”

The Liverpool manager acknowledged that Nunez’s quality puts him constantly in these moments, and if he were slightly less good, he wouldn’t have as many chances. Klopp highlighted Nunez’s goal-scoring record, with 18 goals overall and 11 in the league, as evidence of his quality. He also mentioned that the team’s situation plays a role in the perception of Nunez’s misses, as if someone else scored in those moments, people wouldn’t feel as bad.

Liverpool’s title challenge in the Premier League has faltered in recent weeks, and they were also eliminated from the UEFA Europa League in the quarter-finals. With a five-point gap to leaders Arsenal and four points to Manchester City, Klopp admitted that it’s difficult to see Liverpool catching up. However, he added, “But you never know. Arsenal have to lose two games – difficult. Both play before us, if they both lose let’s talk about it, but I don’t expect that. We have the chance to go above 80 points again. Like everything in life, you should never take things like this for granted.”

Klopp also spoke about Liverpool’s upcoming matches, with a trip to Aston Villa and a home game against Wolves to finish the season. He expressed his satisfaction with their recent 4-2 victory over Tottenham, stating, “It was a really good game – I liked it a lot. It was a good game. What we needed, what we wanted, what the people deserved to see.” Klopp reflected on the season, acknowledging that while Liverpool had their moments, they were not the best team in the league. He mentioned their impressive performance against Manchester City but lamented their failure to win that game, emphasizing the importance of small margins in football.