What Marcelo Bielsa told £85m Liverpool star - and how ex-Leeds United boss is already transforming him

For Liverpool, seeing Darwin Nunez jet off to South America and playing games for Uruguay in the early hours during international breaks could be something to feel unenthusiastic about. The Reds forward is usually involved in a World Cup qualifying match when the clock ticks over into Wednesday morning - and with so many 12.30pm kick offs on Saturdays handed to Jurgen Klopp's side this season, the preparation is far from ideal.

However, the striker appears to be growing with every international break - and one man playing a key role in that is Marcelo Bielsa. The ex-Leeds United boss, who is revered by Whites fans for his time at Elland Road, was named Uruguay manager earlier this year and given the task of guiding the nation to the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada, USA and Mexico after a miserable campaign in Qatar last winter.

Things have started pretty well, with La Celeste second in the South American qualifying table after recording wins over both Brazil and Argentina. They have won four of their six games, losing one and drawing the other. Bielsa's influence is clear, something Lionel Messi admitted after Uruguay defeated the reigning world champions last week, with Nunez scoring a fine goal in that game as he produced a composed finish to clinch a valuable away win for his country. The forward thrives on finding the back of the net, and the more often he does it for country, the better he appears to be playing for club.

The striker has developed a cult following at Anfield following his move from Benfica in the summer of 2022, in a deal that could cost up to £85m. The forward was unfairly mocked at various points last campaign as he ended the season with 15 goals and four assists - not a bad tally for a first year in England, unless you're the record-breaking Erling Haaland.

However, this season Nunez already has more assists at club level with six, and has netted seven times. Two of those came in the dramatic win at Newcastle United when he netted late to help 10-man Liverpool to an unlikely win - giving his and Liverpool's season a collective boost. After that double at St James' Park, Nunez gave an insight into how Bielsa had helped him improve his game.

"I had a chat with Bielsa over Zoom," he told Sport 890 in Montevideo after his heroics against Newcastle. "Bielsa showed me some of my games, and corrected some things that seemed positive to improve. He tells me to run behind the second centre-back so they lose my position. It was a very good talk. He seemed like a good guy to me and a serious guy."

For those acquainted with the ex-Leeds manager, he is forensic to the core. It is no surprise he had watched enough of Nunez's games to offer some valuable insight, which reaped rewards against Newcastle and has already done so on other occasions this season. And for a player like Nunez who is still in the early years of his career, working with Bielsa and Jurgen Klopp is a blessing for him as well as Liverpool.

Someone who can testify of Bielsa's prowess in developing goalscorers is Leeds striker Patrick Bamford. The former Chelsea and Crystal Palace man arguably enjoyed the best years of his career under Bielsa. He scored 16 goals as Leeds were promoted to the Premier League in 2019-20 and bettered that tally in fewer games in his first top-flight season with 17 goals and seven assists in 38 league appearances in 2020-21.

For Nunez, he is already looking a more composed and confident player. Granted, there have been a few moments this season where he has missed glaring chances - the open goal against Toulouse and the half an empty net from just a few yards out at Luton Town spring to mind. However, there has still been a clear improvement - as the numbers have already shown. It is further highlighted by the fact Nunez had scored just three goals in 16 international appearances prior to Bielsa's arrival in Uruguay. In six matches under Bielsa he has five goals and three assists - all of which have come in competitive games.

Klopp is himself a fan of Bielsa, as he revealed ahead of Liverpool's thrilling 4-3 win over Leeds in September 2020. Speaking before the contest, the German said: “I admire him, but I was never close enough to him. I watched his teams playing, that’s pretty exceptional. The rest I got from newspapers and stuff like this. I analysed some games, even in the past already and had a look at that. We have a different approach; there are similarities obviously, but there are big differences as well. I like him without knowing him as a proper character, obviously. And maybe the hardest-working of all of us, I don’t know, I think we all work pretty much but I don’t think we really can compete with him in that area."

Bielsa's work ethic is already translating into tangible benefits for Liverpool as his forensic analysis and subsequent guidance is helping Nunez make big strides. The striker already looks a more complete player as shown not only by his goals but his increased creative output, something Mohamed Salah can attest to as the only player Nunez has assisted since the Uruguayan joined Liverpool. Regardless of who Nunez is providing the assists for, Klopp will surely remain a fan of Bielsa for years to come if Nunez continues on the promising trajectory he has shown this season. And for Nunez, being guided by two of the world's most revered coaches is a blessing he must grasp with both hands, although he already appears to be doing so.