Darwin Núñez Under Pressure for Club and Country After Bolivia Draw | OneFootball

Darwin Núñez Caught in the Crossfire for Club and Country

The terrain was supposed to be familiar. A sanctuary. Uruguay has often been the one place Darwin Núñez could run to when the pressure at Liverpool became too suffocating. The fans, the tempo, the system—everything under Marcelo Bielsa felt tailor-made for a player caught between chaos and brilliance. But in La Paz on Tuesday night, even the altitude couldn’t lift Núñez from the weight dragging him down.

Photo: IMAGO

Instead of redemption, it was more of the same. Bolivia and Uruguay played out a 0-0 stalemate that left more questions than answers. And Núñez, summoned from the bench just after half-time, became the focal point of criticism once again—not from jaded pundits or rival supporters, but from his own.

Struggles With Uruguay Mirror Liverpool Woes

There’s something painfully poetic about Núñez’s 2024/25 campaign. At Liverpool, he has oscillated between erratic and ineffective. Once trusted by Jürgen Klopp, now overlooked by Arne Slot. The Dutchman appears unconvinced that the 25-year-old can lead his front line, and the numbers offer little defence: seven goals and seven assists in 40 appearances. That’s a return Liverpool may soon decide is surplus to requirements.

In January, Al-Nassr offered £62.5 million for the former Benfica striker. Liverpool resisted then. They may not in the summer.

International duty has long served as a tonic for under-pressure stars. But for Núñez, even Uruguay is no longer a refuge. Dropped to the bench for a World Cup qualifier in Bolivia, his arrival in the second half did little to change the narrative.

Fans Turn as Patience Wears Thin

Uruguay sit third in South America’s qualifying table, but the performance in La Paz—bereft of urgency or spark—has left fans disillusioned. And Núñez, like a lightning rod, absorbed the brunt of their frustration.

On social media, the reaction was brutal. One fan wrote: “Darwin Nuñez is the worst thing that has happened to me in my life. Let them play Suarez and Cavani in wheelchairs.” Another added: “Giménez, Ugarte and Darwin Nunez are equally stupid. It’s incredible.”

It’s not just noise. It’s a sign that Núñez, once heralded as the next great Uruguayan forward, now finds himself stranded somewhere between potential and product. Uruguay’s old guard—Suárez, Cavani—still cast long shadows. And right now, Núñez doesn’t seem ready to step into the light.

What Comes Next for Darwin Núñez?

He will return to Merseyside this week, ahead of Liverpool’s clash with Everton. But it’s hard to imagine Slot entrusting him with a central role in a fixture charged with intensity and consequence. Not when confidence is in tatters and the goals have dried up.

And so Núñez waits, between two worlds—neither offering salvation. Uruguay fans have grown weary. Liverpool, it seems, are preparing to move on. The story was supposed to be different for a striker signed with such fanfare. Instead, it’s beginning to read like a cautionary tale.