‘Look at what he did’ - Ex-Liverpool midfielder claims £85m star is the key to title challenge

Former Liverpool midfielder Dietmar Hamann has claimed that Darwin Nunez could be the key to Liverpool’s title charge, but conceded that Manchester City are still the team to beat.

Liverpool sit joint-second with Tottenham and they sit just two points behind Man City after winning four of their first five games so far.

They’ve also recruited strongly with Wataru Endo, Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai and the current feeling around Jurgen Klopp’s side is a hugely positive one once again.

Nunez’s late double against Newcastle United before the international break earned them a sensational win with 10 men, and he went on to start the following 3-0 win over Aston Villa - and he went on to grab an assist and was heavily involved in their second goal.

Hamann revealed that he doesn’t expect Liverpool to be able to challenge this season, but claimed Nunez could be a big factor if he can repeat his Newcastle heroics across the season.

“I’d have to rule out a serious title bid. Things can change quickly, but I’d like to see a bit more from this Liverpool side. Things might look good on paper, but a lot of Liverpool’s struggles come from being unable to break teams down.

“When teams put 10 men behind the ball at Anfield, Liverpool have tended to struggle. I think this is where Nunez comes in - look at what he did at Newcastle.

“Liverpool have a lot of options, but I think this season could be his. Overall, though, I’d say Liverpool aren’t contenders. City remain the benchmark.”