Liverpool has not yet seen the best of Darwin Núñez. But while it decides whether or not to remain patient, the striker appears to be threatening to make the choice himself, dropping one or two signs that he may seek a transfer in the summer.

A classic of the 21st century playbook, Núñez deleted almost all traces of Liverpool from his Instagram profile after the match against Tottenham, where Jürgen Klopp started him from the bench. Incidentally, he was also seen rushing straight down the tunnel after that game, head down and visibly frustrated.

This came amid whispers of Barcelona, a move which would echo the one made by the likes of Luis Suárez and Philippe Coutinho over the years. And lo and behold, when Núñez next featured on Instagram, he was being pictured in the Catalan city, with Nou Camp defender Ronald Araújo.

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The two are friends and international colleagues, so there was nothing inherently suspect about it, but the timing was far from ideal. When Klopp announced his departure, very few suspected Núñez might follow him out the door, but it now has to at least be acknowledged as a possibility.

Yet Núñez would do well to heed the advice that Klopp once gave to Coutinho, before the Brazilian ultimately went to Barcelona. The words have often been repeated since, having proved eerily prescient.

"I told him to stay here and they will end up building a statue in your honor," said Klopp, via the Mirror. "Go somewhere else, to Barcelona, to Bayern Munich, to Real Madrid, and you will be just another player. Here you can be something more."

Even Klopp probably didn't imagine Coutinho would be in the Qatari Stars league by the age of 31, and he stands as the most extreme example of the point, suffering such a dramatic drop-off having been such a key figure at Liverpool. But others have suffered a similar fate.

Emre Can has eventually found success away from Anfield, but first had to endure a torrid time at Juventus while his old side marched to Champions League and later Premier League glory. Sadio Mané stayed long enough to earn legendary status at Liverpool anyway, but his desire to move to Bayern Munich certainly backfired, and he now finds himself in Saudi Arabia.

Núñez does not want to be the next player on this list. Frankly, it will be up to Michael Edwards, Richard Hughes and of course Arne Slot to decide if he even gets that choice — his performances were already enough to cast his Liverpool future into doubt before he stirred the pot online. But assuming the Reds are willing to stick by their record signing, he would be unwise to throw it back in their faces.

It goes without saying that if online abuse contributed to Núñez's social media decision, that is completely unacceptable. It's an increasingly big problem in the modern game across all clubs, and it's crucial that the mental wellbeing of players is safeguarded.

At the same time, within the stadium itself, rarely has a player received backing like Núñez. Almost two years in, with the goals yet to truly start flowing, his chant is still heard perhaps more often than any other, acknowledging every good run or chance even if it comes to nothing.

There is a huge will for Núñez to succeed at Liverpool. If he manages it, he will be an icon. If he gives up and moves on, he can expect to be just another player somewhere else.