DARWIN ONLY A FLOP JUDGED AGAINST FEE

IT hasn’t often been said of his time at Liverpool. But there was a satisfying consistency to the reaction of Darwin Nunez’s imminent departure that was very much in keeping with his Anfield career.

- By IAN DOYLE

If the news the Uruguayan’s longtime suitors, Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal, had thrashed out a deal for the forward wasn’t much of a surprise, eyebrows were raised at the proposed £46million fee for a player whom Liverpool committed to pay almost double that when taking him from Benfica three years ago.

The general view on the funds raised? Not bad, but it could have been more.

And that perhaps provides a fitting epitaph for a Reds stay in which the end product, if by no means disappointing, didn’t quite match up to expectations or potential.

While Nunez never gave the impression of being overly perturbed by succeeding Virgil van Dijk as Liverpool's club record transfer, the £85.5m fee - even if the Reds haven’t had to pay full whack with not all of the add-on clauses having been met - was used as a stick with which to beat the striker.