(Reuters) – Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp has backed forward Darwin Nunez to find his goal-scoring touch, urging the Uruguay international to show composure while finishing off chances.
Nunez has had a slow start at Liverpool, scoring two goals and getting one assist in the eight games he has played since joining the club from Benfica for an initial fee of 75 million euros ($73.06 million) in the close season.
The 23-year-old also served a three-game suspension after he was sent off for an apparent head-butt on his home debut.
“I think he said himself he feels the pressure,” Klopp told reporters on Friday. “He has to calm himself down.
“You can see the movements are exceptional and if you would see him finishing in training you would think, ‘My God.’ But in the games obviously (he is) then a bit in a rush.
“He needs to calm down just in the moment to use his full range of finishing but it’s not something – as a striker you just have to feel that. Then it will go from there. So, not to change, just to keep going actually.”
Liverpool are ninth in the Premier League on 10 points after seven games. They play away to league leaders Arsenal on Sunday.
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(Reporting by Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru; Editing by Ana Nicolaci da Costa)