Jurgen Klopp has played down rumors of Darwin Nunez leaving, saying he was unaware of any speculation surrounding his departure.
The Liverpool star has been the subject of transfer uncertainty this week as there were suggestions he may be looking for a way out of Anfield.
Photo Credit: Getty ImagesWhile the Reds returned to winning ways with a solid 4-2 win over Tottenham on Sunday, Nunez made headlines after removing all Liverpool-related posts from his Instagram.
This came after he missed a big chance to score against Spurs, which led to criticism.
The Uruguayan striker was then photographed with Barcelona star and international teammate Ronaldo Araujo in the days following, further fueling speculation that he could be considering a move to the Nou Camp.
Liverpool brought Nunez to Anfield almost two years ago for a fee of £85 million, but he has yet to establish himself as an unbeatable player under Jurgen Klopp.
During this time, the 24-year-old has scored 33 goals for the Reds, including a total of 18 goals and 13 assists this season.
But while speculation is likely to continue to link him with a move this summer, Klopp insists he knows nothing of any links.
Asked about the speculation, Klopp said: “What is there? There is no speculation. It must be external because I don’t know anything about it.”
“There is no speculation at the moment, it is just a situation we are in.”
Photo Credit: Getty ImagesAfter the drama his actions sparked on social media, Klopp added that the striker needed to learn to deal with criticism, admitting it was part of the job of a modern footballer.
The manager also supported his player, stressing that he was doing nothing wrong and had just been unlucky in recent games, failing to score a goal in six league games.
“Darwin was definitely not happy about missing out on this opportunity,” said the Liverpool manager.
“He’s unlucky, let’s just say he’s been unlucky in so many situations where he does everything right but the ball still doesn’t go in.”
“This is really hard for a young man. He has high expectations of himself. There is no alternative but to go through this, this is what he is doing right now. We’re trying to help him as best we can, but everyone has to go through that.
“It’s part of a footballer’s career. His whole problem is that he’s so good, he’s constantly in these moments. If he was less good, he wouldn’t have a chance. People just say, ‘That’s not great.’ Because he is.” well, he is in these moments.
“How many goals did he score? In terms of numbers, he’s not too bad. Eighteen goals career.”