Jurgen Klopp agrees with Gary Neville’s assessment of Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez

Jurgen Klopp believes Darwin Nunez's next challenge is to improve the defensive side of his game as he continues to adapt at Liverpool.

Nunez joined the Reds from Benfica in the summer transfer window for a fee that could reach a club-record £85 million.

The forward has started to acclimatise on Merseyside, having scored seven times in 16 appearances. Nunez featured in a left-wing role in Sunday's 2-1 defeat of Tottenham Hotspur and assisted Mo Salah's first of his two goals.

Spurs reduced the deficit in the second half through Harry Kane but Liverpool hung on for a first Premier League away victory of the season.

And Klopp admitted that Nunez could have perhaps protected the wing better in the build-up to Kane's intervention.

Speaking to Sky Sports, the Liverpool manager said: I really thought they (the players) were absolutely outstanding in this moment (after Tottenham’s goal) because it was a big blow, an unnecessary goal. It was a great pass. [Dejan] Kulusevski comes on, bing bong, here we go. It’s difficult to defend. There’s no offside.

“In these moments you follow the striker, Harry scored, he’s outstanding in these moments, so it’s really tricky. But you have to defend – that’s how it is. You have to defend half-spaces, defend the wings – and that was a bit of the problem.

“Darwin – offensively he is a massive threat, but defensively there is still room for improvement there. On top of that it’s super intense for him to go there all the time. It was only one moment too late. Then [Eric] Dier steps in, or whoever was on that wing then steps in and the next ball is in the box and that’s really tricky.”

‘An unpolished diamond’

Neville was commentating on the game for Sky Sports. And while he did not critique Nunez's defensive work specifically, the ex-Manchester United defender believes the Uruguay international has to hone some aspects of his game.

Speaking on The Gary Nevile Podcast, he said: "Nunez does really well and he is the threat, but Salah is the class. Nunez can learn so much from Salah.

“He’s an unpolished diamond. He makes the runs, he’s a threat, he’s a nuisance, he challenges and he harasses.

“But sometimes, I used the word scruffy and you (Martin Tyler] used the words: 'a blunt instrument’ and it’s absolutely right. If I was Nunez, I would just watch Salah constantly - in terms of what he does in the final third and in particular in the box.”