“Hit the ground running”: Reds legend outlines the expectations from summer signing

Steve McManaman doesn’t believe there’ll be pressure on Liverpool forward Darwin Nunez to score bucketloads

According to via Horseracing.net (h/t Liverpool Echo), Steve McManaman believes new signing Darwin Nunez will not be expected to hit the ground running and perform exceptionally from the go, next season at Liverpool.

The Uruguayan was signed for big money after a superb season in Portugal with Benfica and will replace Sadio Mane in the first XI. The 23-year-old scored 34 goals for the Eagles in 41 appearances and is far from the finished product.

McManaman feels Nunez will be given time to settle into the Merseyside club. The strength in the Reds’ attack will help regulate the expectations around the Uruguayan.

“I don’t believe Darwin has to hit the ground running, but I believe he will have to contribute without a shadow or a doubt.”

The ex-Reds legend feels that seeing Luis Diaz perform at such a high level since his arrival has ‘spoiled’ fans. Nunez shouldn’t be expected to be as impactful as the Colombian and McManaman believes with time, we’ll see the best of him.

“Myself and other Liverpool fans have been spoiled, especially by Luis Díaz coming in and making an instant impact.”

The 50-year-old also believes there won’t be pressure on the Uruguayan to score a lot of goals initially with the likes of Mohamed Salah and Diogo Jota in the side. We have excellent depth in our attack to help the 23-year-old get a feel for the Premier League.

We need to let Nunez settle in

Nunez became one of Liverpool’s record signings this summer. The performances in the two legs against the Reds in the Champions League quarter-finals showed fans what the 23-year-old was about.

With the departure of Mane, it felt right for us to go out and spend money on a striker as other teams around us strengthen their squads as well. But expecting the Uruguayan to have an immediate impact is a bit far-fetched.

England’s first-tier can be a difficult place for new players to adapt to and establish themselves. While we have splashed the cash on Nunez, it’s important that fans temper their hopes with regard to the striker.

We have brilliant options up front and it’ll certainly help the 23-year-old to be in and around the squad and contribute in his first few months. We have quality players in our squad to ease the pressure off of Nunez.

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While it’ll be great if our new signing starts on the front foot immediately, the crowd can’t get on his back if the 23-year-old fails to do what we are anticipating. So the best thing is for Liverpool fans to settle in and let Nunez thrive at his own pace.