Darwin Núñez breaks social media silence with message to Liverpool 'idol'
Darwin Núñez has posted on social media for the first time since mysteriously deleting all photos of himself in a Liverpool kit last weekend. The Uruguayan striker featured off the bench for the Reds in the recent 4-2 win over Tottenham Hotspur.
After replacing Luis Díaz in the 75th minute and failing to score in the brief cameo, it now marked eight games without a goal for the 24-year-old - as his frustrations seemingly boiled over in the aftermath of the win at Anfield.
Shortly after the full-time whistle was blown by referee Paul Tierney, Liverpool fans noticed Núñez had deleted all pictures of himself in red on his personal Instagram account. That sparked speculation about his future at Anfield, especially after links to Barcelona emerged in recent weeks.
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Núñez has now posted for the first time since doing this, as he replied to former Reds striker Luis Suárez, who netted his 500th career goal on Monday evening for his new side Inter Miami. Suarez's post, after scoring a hat-trick during the 6-2 win over New York Red Bulls, read: "500 goals in clubs, incredible. Thank you Nacional, Groningen, Ajax, Liverpool, Barcelona, Atletico [Madrid], Gremio, Inter Miami. And thanks to all of you for the support."
To which Núñez replied by adding 'Idolo (idol)' followed by the heart-eyes and flexing emojis. As previously noted, reports had emerged regarding a possible move to La Liga giants Barcelona for Núñez in recent weeks.
Suarez is also a fan of his international teammate Núñez. Back in 2021, he revealed on Twitch (via SportBible) that he had once urged Barcelona to make a move for Núñez before he joined Benfica then Liverpool a year later.
"When he was at Almería, I said it at Barca,” Suárez said to Gerard Romero. “They asked me and I said ‘look after this guy, he’s very interesting’, but they said no, he’s at Almería, he’s very young. But instead of paying now 80, 90, or 100 million, they would have paid 15 or 20.”
Xavi Hernandez is searching for a successor to 35-year-old forward Robert Lewandowski this summer and reportedly views the Liverpool ace as a strong option. The Polish striker is one of the top earners at the Catalan club and is now approaching the twilight of his career. However, fresh claims have since been made by the Spanish media which outline a move to Spain is 'unlikely' for Núñez this summer.
Liverpool.com says: Núñez is low on confidence given the current form. Fans and pundits have been critical of the player and he also blocked several accounts following the win against Spurs, which outlines the fact he is reading everything that is said about him. Hopefully Arne Slot can help restore the belief in the forward, who has shown flashes of brilliance in red.