In another era, in another kind of football, Darwin Núñez might be the type of unconventional striker who would be a cult hero at a smaller club, but at Liverpool in 2025, when the margins are so tight at the top of the Premier League and every player must earn his place,

There is 'genuine' interest in prising Darwin Nunez out of Liverpool this month, while remarkable links to Manchester United have been clarified and Arne Slot has dropped a telling admission on the striker.

Slot then showed a steel of his own in both defending and praising his player, as well as his team’s form. The Liverpool manager first disagreed with the phrasing of questions that portrayed a “disappointing season” for Nunez, insisting it has just been a case of much more competition for places in a team that is top of the league.