How Darwin Nunez turned his Liverpool career around as he closes in on record-breaking season

Many people doubted Darwin Nunez last season as Liverpool's big-money signing failed to hit the ground running but this season has been a huge contrast.

The naysayers mocked the £85m signing (initially a £64m fee) for his inability to finish chances with conviction and he ended the 2022/23 campaign joint-third for big chances missed with 20. It's a metric that is often associated with the highest scorers as they are in goal scoring positions more often than anyone else. However, if you are constantly passing up chances, then it becomes an issue. Finishing with a modest 15 goals and four assists in 42 games, it wasn't the debut season fans wanted to see.

Flash forward to this season and everything has changed; he looks transformed, confident and simply better all-round, but what has changed exactly? And how close is he to making history?

This season has seen a strong improvement in his all-round game and there are a few reasons for this. One, he's had a year to adapt to English football, the pace of the game, the way teams defend as well as learning more of the English language which has clearly paid off. Two, Liverpool are a better side this year. More balanced, more creativity, more possession and all of this has culminated in more freedom, confidence and opportunities for Nunez.

On top of that, he has been a key figure for Uruguay, as Marcelo Bielsa has championed him as their new number nine in the aftermath of the Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez era and the manager has added new elements to his game such as the ability to create for teammates that he has implemented at club level.

With 22 big chances missed (two more than last season) and still 10 games to go, it shows he has continued to get into the right areas but the difference is that he is taking more of them this year, which is why it isn't a mark against his name. 17 goals and 14 assists dwarfs his 15 goals and four assists from last season and he has become a 'chaotic' figure in attack who disrupts defences with his power and pace to create and score - and it's clear he is playing with a freedom and a confidence that he simply wasn't last season.

As it stands, his efforts this season broken down to minutes per goal and assist across the club's history sees him currently sit fifth in all-time list, among names such as Suarez, Salah and Rush. Plus, if he continues at this rate with a potential 15 games left, he could notch another 17 goal contributions which would put him on near to 50 for the season.

He has proven he can be the main man up front and whichever manager arrives next after Jurgen Klopp will have to understand how to manage Nunez, as getting the best out of him can result in a season like the one we're seeing right now.