Darwin Nunez is putting Liverpool in the difficult situation of having to answer a huge transfer question at possibly the worst time. Without doing an awful lot to impress, his performance on Saturday, for me, crossed the precipice of Arne Slot requiring the striker out and another in.

I watched the cup tie vs Accrington Stanley from the Main Stand Lower as Harvey Elliott lifted a cross into the six-yard box after seven minutes - Nunez connected with his forehead, but only to send the ball bouncing over.

Then once Trent Alexander-Arnold had a 12th-minute shot saved it fell to the Uruguayan's feet a little further out this time. He had all the time in the world to take an extra touch and bury the ball one side of the goalkeeper or the other, and instead it ends up behind the goal with the travelling supporters. Nunez looked to the sky in disbelief - I have no idea why, it has come to be expected at this point.

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It is not a frustration with Liverpool failing to beat a League Two opponent 6-0 rather than 4-0, but your £85m striker should be capable of finding the net against a team of that level, let us be real.

They were just two of five shots he had in the third round tie, only one of them on target.

"It was massively impressive when he played in front of us [in the Champions League].

"When you prepare Benfica, you know up to the size of shoes – we know absolutely everything about an opponent, so we know exactly about the quality of Darwin," Jurgen Klopp said about facing the striker that scored twice - and could have easily got more - across a two-legged 2021/22 Champions League quarter-final months before his big money move.

"It was not clear if he would play because he came back from internationals, in the first game that was. It was clear that he was really good. But when you see it then live, it was really impressive.

"The power and the mix-up with technique, the desire, smart moves, the problems he caused us. We fell all in love in these two games. A very aggressive South American, it's a good thing! It was really a joy to watch him and so when we realised we had a good chance to sign him, we were all-in and we're really happy he's here now."

What ever happened to this version of Nunez?

It seems with four goals all season up to this point he has regressed as part of Slot's system. Robbie Fowler's ITV comments I picked up on the way back from Anfield are really indicative of the situation.

And it's not like he hasn't had the full support of Anfield. His passion has been rewarded with repeated chants of his surname over the past two-and-a-half years.

But Plenty of supporters have been 'done' with the No.9 for a long time. Not me, though.

I held hope that he would improve under Klopp, it happened - marginally - and then arrived a new head coach with a striker's position in his system primed and ready for a custodian. On this occasion even I found myself turning to my match-going friends, my face probably saying exactly what my mind was thinking - 'we need a new striker'.

During the second-half on came Jayden Danns. His cup performances last season were inspiring and the 18-year-old was that again as he scored no more than four minutes after his arrival, celebrating as if he had done so in a Champions League final. Love it.

Not to get further carried away, but there are flashes of Erling Haaland in that boy. His size for someone that age is extraordinary, he covers ground in no time at all and the most important factor of all is possessing the sixth sense Nunez simply does not - knowing where the goal is.

His was a simple first-time finish once Federico Chiesa saw an attempt saved, similar in set-up to his teammate's 12th-minute go at goal. The January window will definitely be too hasty to fix things.

As mentioned, this realisation has come at the worst possible time with Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold's contracts requiring a resolution first and foremost. I am then under the belief that Slot requires at least one - if not two - central defenders, then a replacement for Andy Robertson before any other business is conducted. Sorry, Kvicha Kvaratskhelia.

Once those priorities are fixed, Alexander Isak would be the dream. If he did the job he does for Newcastle United as part of this Reds XI, there would be no question where the league title is going to go but when £120m is the price floated in rumours? It just wouldn't happen.

Expectations at St. James' Park need to lower on a wim or Liverpool unveiling interest, which triggers the player to hand in a transfer request, are two hopeful series of events.

Arsenal may see themselves as challengers for his signature, but looking at the states of the two clubs and their current ambitions to me it would seem an obvious pick of a next club. But of course all of this hinges on Nunez and the exit decision I think Liverpool are now swiftly needing to make.