18 January 2024 , 00:11
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Cesc Fabregas has called for Liverpool to have “patience” with Darwin Nunez and believes he could become as prolific as Mo Salah.
The Uruguayan was an £85m signing from Portuguese giants Benfica back in the summer of 2022 but he has not quite hit the heights expected of him. Nunez’s finishing has not been up to scratch having scored just 23 goals in 72 appearances in all competitions for Liverpool.
However, former Chelsea and Arsenal midfielder Fabregas believes that he just needs time to reach his potential at Anfield. Speaking to the BBC, the Spaniard said: "You need to understand that people go through some difficult moments. I could tell you 10,000 players that we felt sometimes, 'Oh, that's not a player'
"You need your coach, your staff to support you. That's why I always admired Arsene [Wenger]. Sometimes we need to be a little bit more patient than others."
Meanwhile, Fabregas believes that Nunez could potentially match the trajectory of his Liverpool teammate Salah. The Egyptian forward was initially brought to England by Chelsea from Basel but he scored just two goals in 19 appearances before leaving for Roma.
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Salah rediscovered his form in Italy, which was enough to see Liverpool move for his signature. He has since scored 204 goals for the Reds.
Mo Salah struggled to match expectations at Chelsea (Getty Images)Will Darwin Nunez be a success at Liverpool? Share your thoughts in the comments below
Fabregas claimed that he believed it was “impossible" that he would hit such heights. He added: "He was not so prolific in front of goal.
"Maybe it was lack of chances. You could see his trends. You could see he was quick. You could see that he was attacking the spaces. But then when he had one against ones, maybe he was not as strong as he is now."
Nunez will hope to impress in Salah’s absence as he completes his African Cup of Nations commitments with Egypt. The Reds are next back in action this weekend as they take on Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.
Their next assignment then pits the Reds against Fulham in their Carabao Cup semi-final second leg at Craven Cottage. Jurgen Klopp ’s side then have a clash against Norwich in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
Premier League fixtures against Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool then all follow before Salah could potentially return. The Egyptian could be out until at least February 11 with the final of AFCON due to take place that day.
Salah was in the midst of another exhilarating season for Liverpool before his departure after scoring 18 goals in 27 games in all competitions.