Jurgen Klopp has played down talk of Darwin Nunez leaving the club, saying he knows nothing about any speculation of his exit.
The Liverpool star has been the subject of transfer uncertainty this week with suggestions that he may be looking for a way out of Anfield.
While the Reds got back to winning ways on Sunday with a solid 4-2 win over Tottenham, Nunez stole the headlines after removing all Liverpool-related posts from his Instagram.
This came after he missed a huge opportunity to find the net against Spurs, leading to criticism.
The Uruguayan striker was then pictured in the days afterwards with Barcelona star and international teammate Ronaldo Araujo, further fueling speculation that he could be eyeing a move to the Nou Camp.
Liverpool brought Nunez to Anfield almost two years ago for a fee of £85million but he is yet to fully establish himself as an undroppable player under Jurgen Klopp.
In that time the 24-year-old has scored 33 goals for the Reds, including a total of 18 goals and 13 assists this term.
But while speculation will likely continue to link him with a move away this summer, Klopp insists he knows nothing about any links.
Asked about the speculation, Klopp said: “There is what? There is no speculation. It must be external because I don’t know about this.
“There is no speculation right now, it’s just a situation we are in.”
After the drama created by his actions on social media, Klopp added that the striker has to learn how to deal with criticism, admitting it’s part of the job as a modern footballer.
The manager also backed his player, insisting he isn’t doing anything wrong and has just been dogged by bad luck in recent games, having failed to score in six league matches.
“Darwin was definitely not happy missing that chance,” said the Liverpool boss.
“He is unlucky, let me say was, he was unlucky in so many situations where he is doing everything right but the ball still doesn’t go in.
“That’s really tough for a young man. He has big expectations of himself. There is no alternative than going through it, that’s what he’s doing right now. We try to help him with all we can but you have to go through it, everyone has to go through this.
“That’s part of a footballer’s career. All his problem is that he is that good, he is constantly in these moments. If he was less good, he would not have chances. People just say, ‘That’s not great’. Because he is good, he is in these moments.
“How many goals did he score, he is not too bad with numbers right. Eighteen goals. They are not bad numbers! Because of his quality everyone says, ‘Ah, again, again!’. Nobody likes it but it’s part of a career.”
News Summary:
- ‘There is no speculation’ – Jurgen Klopp rubbishes Darwin Nunez exit rumours but admits Liverpool star was ‘not happy’ amid Instagram drama
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