Darwin Nunez's recent performance served as a timely reminder of his abilities. Although he didn't score the goal he desired, he made a crucial contribution.
With Liverpool down to 10 men and facing only their second defeat of the season, Nunez came off the bench to assist Diogo Jota's 86th-minute equaliser in the 2-2 home draw with Fulham. This marked the Uruguayan's 20th assist in 116 appearances for the Reds, during which he has scored 36 times himself.
Despite scoring nearly every three games, it's fair to say more was expected from the club-record £85m signing from Benfica. Nunez showed promise in his first two seasons at Anfield and remains popular among fans, but frustrations over his finishing have surfaced this season.
The striker is currently six matches without a goal and has only scored three times in 20 appearances. Liverpool head coach Arne Slot defended his underperforming forward last week.
Nunez responded positively over the weekend and could get another chance to impress if Jota is unfit to start against Southampton in Wednesday's Carabao Cup quarter-final at St Mary's. However, former Reds winger Jermaine Pennant, who was man of the match in the 2007 Champions League final defeat to AC Milan, believes it's time for his old club to cut their losses on Nunez.
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Pennant stated: "He cost so much money and is up there with one of Liverpool's highest-paid players. He's just not giving Liverpool what they paid for - yes, he works his socks off and the fans love him, bringing something different to the team, but ultimately you want goals."
Pennant expressed his doubts about Nunez's ability to improve, saying: "Especially for that price tag, you expect returns to justify that fee. I think after this season - which is his third - we're not going to see any improvement in the fourth or fifth. This is it now, this is the final product of Darwin Nunez. No disrespect to him, but he's not on the level as a player that Liverpool are as a team."
Pennant also compared Nunez unfavourably to past Liverpool strikers, stating: "Liverpool has had some great No.9s in the past, and Nunez falls short of them. I think it'd be wise to offload him somewhere in Europe and invest the money they get for him elsewhere."
Additionally, Pennant mentioned the initial comparisons between Nunez and Erling Haaland, saying: "There was all that chat when he joined being compared to Erling Haaland when he went to Manchester City from Borussia Dortmund, but he just hasn't got up to speed in the Premier League like Haaland has."
As for a potential replacement, Pennant suggested Alexander Isak, citing his impressive record against Liverpool: "I think Liverpool should be looking at signing Alexander Isak in January. He scores every time he plays against Liverpool since he's joined! Not only that, but he's also a proven goalscorer and is a real handful for defenders.
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"His movement is great, he's quick and can bring in other players as well. He has all the attributes of a fantastic No.9.
"That goal against Liverpool recently was all his creation, it was him getting the ball out of his feet and striking it into the back of the net and it's not the first time we've seen that."
Despite Nunez's struggles this season, Liverpool have been prolific, scoring 52 goals in 23 matches across all competitions. However, with injuries and suspensions starting to take their toll, Slot's team have shown defensive weaknesses.
Pennant suggests they should look to another Premier League club for reinforcements. "Liverpool do need some back-up options in defence because although Joe Gomez has been fantastic in that centre-back role when filling in, Liverpool will need more options in the middle if Gomez has to take over on the left or right," he told Casino Apps.
"Sadly, Jarell Quansah doesn't look to be the same player he was last season, he always looks nervous on the ball now and makes a few mistakes that he didn't use to make.
"It's too soon for him to be the backup in a team who is chasing a Premier League title and are in the driving seat for the Champions League.
"Liverpool need someone who can handle the Premier League and the names that comes to mind are Murillo at Nottingham Forest and Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth.
"I think they're both players that are composed and look comfortable on the ball against the big teams. There are some young defenders out there who they can get, but those two would be some nice additions."
