Ex-Liverpool defender Jose Enrique has slammed Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo
following their lackluster performances in the final third in the last couple of weeks.
The Reds, who signed the aforementioned pair last season, have endured a difficult time in the recent past.
They have suffered two back-to-back home losses, failing to net once against Atalanta and Crystal Palace.
During a recent chat with betting website Grosvenor Sport,
Enrique was queried to share his honest opinion on Liverpool’s current attacking options. He said (h/t The Kop Times):
“Darwin Nunez is simply not at the required level and he never has been. He is a good player, I like him a lot and the fans love him,
but he isn’t at the level of some of the best forwards from the past.
He is a good player but he is not a Liverpool number nine.”
Suggesting the Uruguayan is not fit to start for the Reds, Enrique said:
“He could play for a lot of top teams in Europe, but he is not good enough for those that are challenging for trophies.
Their old front three was one of the world’s best and now this current team only really has two goalscorers – Mohamed Salah and Diogo Jota.”
Commenting on the 23-cap Netherlands international, Enrique added:
“Cody Gakpo is not a goalscorer and he won’t get you 20 goals every season like Sadio Mane and Salah did.
Roberto Firmino wasn’t a player to score that many goals, but he gave you so much more outside of that.
Darwin Nunez gets you a lot of chances but misses them too frequently.”
Nunez, who has missed 25 of his 31 big chances this campaign, has registered 18 goals and 13 assists in 47 matches for the Reds this term.
Gakpo, meanwhile, has bagged 14 goals and provided four assists in 47 appearances across competitions in the ongoing season.