Darwin Nunes proves himself in time, will Liverpool consider keeping him

Darwin Nunes scored a hat-trick to help the team win in a friendly match between Liverpool and Stoke City on Sunday. Meanwhile, speculation about his future continues.

This all came very quickly. Darwin Nunes scored a hat-trick in the first half as Liverpool beat Stoke 5-0 in a closed-door friendly match on Sunday afternoon. Just minutes after the news broke, the striker had a new nickname.

More than one fan quipped: "He is like a reverse Samson!" Here is the person in the Bible who gained great power from long hair.

Of course, Nunez changed his new look when he returned to pre-season training this summer, and decided to shave off his signature long hair and replace it with a more manageable buzz cut.

No doubt, he was in a hot state early in the warm-up match. In his 3-1 victory over Championship team Preston last Sunday, he scored a goal in the second half in just a few minutes; and at the AXA Training Center over the weekend, he completed a hat-trick in just 20 minutes.

But as often seen during Nunez's time at Liverpool, things rarely go smoothly. Judging from the players themselves and the club's situation, there are other hidden things in his situation.

Nuñez has done enough in the opening weeks in terms of competing for the main position of the No. 9 position this season.

However, the current trends show that for the Uruguay international, the warm-up match is more like a "window" to show off oneself than an opportunity to win more regular first-team appearances under Arne Slot.

Nuñez has only won one chance to start in the Premier League since last Christmas - although he scored and won a penalty in a 3-1 victory over Southampton - and he played only marginal roles as the Reds thrived all the way through the second half of the championship.

Even when the team implemented large-scale rotation after winning four rounds ahead of schedule, Slot did not give Nunez the chance to start.

It is worth noting that the 26-year-old player has made 30 appearances in 38 Premier League games and participated in all except one of the cups. But even considering that his playing time has been reduced by one-third from last season, his data on just 7 goals and 7 assists also shows that he has failed to show the kind of finishing ability he used to be. Part of the problem is that he is largely willing to adapt to Slot's preferred style of play, which obviously affects the natural performance of the Uruguayan. In addition, the team's tactics require wide players to undertake more goals, which means that even if he is on the court, Nunez's chances are far less than before.

But does Nunes still have a place in Liverpool? It seems unlikely at the moment, and the club is willing to consider offers that meet its valuation of more than £50 million.

Naples seems to have ended his interest, AC Milan is still paying attention to developments, and the Saudi professional league in which he failed to sign Nunes in January is still a possible place to go.

Liverpool's pursuit of Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitic, and still rumors that they remain interested in Newcastle United's Alexander Isaac, all seem to push Nunez to the brink of departure. However, large-scale adjustments to the front line could be expensive due to uncertainty about the future of Luis Dias and Federico Chiesa.

They certainly cannot all leave the team, especially considering that the Reds encountered the grief of Diogo Jota's unfortunate death earlier this month, Jota was the first choice for the No. 9 in the early days of Slot's coaching.

Therefore, Nunes's career at Anfield may not have ended yet. In any case, the Uruguayan reminded people in a timely manner why Liverpool signed him at a record price.