According to reports, Liverpool Echo published news today that many Liverpool fans were waiting to hear: Darwin Nunez’s journey at the club is over, and he will leave Liverpool at the start of the summer. The tall Uruguayan striker had a strange and turbulent time at Anfield and ultimately failed to prove himself.

Darwin moved from Benfica to Liverpool in the summer of 2022 for a hefty €85 million. The Reds had sold Sadio Mane, and neither Divock Origi nor Takumi Minamino had fully satisfied Klopp. Klopp wanted a strong striker with a high goal-scoring instinct to lead Liverpool’s attack—someone like Erling Haaland at Manchester City.

Many were surprised by Liverpool’s decision, believing Darwin was not yet ready for the Premier League. Before joining Benfica, he had played only one season in Spain’s second division with Almeria after starting his professional career at Peñarol in Uruguay.

Although many still blame Klopp for signing Darwin, it is interesting to note that the German coach did not personally request the transfer. Klopp and his staff had searched extensively for a classic No. 9 but found no suitable candidate. He told Liverpool’s management that he was in no rush, as he already had forwards like Roberto Firmino, Diogo Jota, Mohamed Salah, and Luis Diaz.

However, it was Gordon, one of Fenway Sports Group’s executives, and Julian Ward, Liverpool’s sporting director, who insisted on signing Darwin based on their famous mathematical model—the same model they claimed had led them to appoint Jürgen Klopp. Liverpool’s management repeatedly presented data-filled PowerPoints to Klopp, arguing that their model showed Darwin was the best No. 9 in Europe after Erling Haaland and Rasmus Højlund (who was Atalanta’s target). Although Klopp remained unconvinced, Gordon made the final decision, and Darwin was signed for €85 million.

But Darwin never found consistency. Despite passionate support from fans early on, their patience wore thin over time. The striker, who has recently become a laughingstock among rivals and even some supporters, is now regarded as one of Liverpool’s most wasteful forwards.

Darwin excels in some aspects—he is excellent at controlling the ball under pressure and contributes defensively. He quickly understands the manager’s tactics and executes his role beautifully. But that’s not what people expected from him: Darwin was supposed to score goals at Liverpool. Yet, time and again, he proved he was not a No. 9.

Darwin’s time at Liverpool will soon come to an end. His name will forever be remembered as Liverpool’s most expensive signing (so far), but it is unlikely that years from now, anyone will recall him as one of the club’s standout strikers.