This Liverpool star could've been on the opposite side of the Carabao Cup final

He shines with the Reds, but had a chance to leave for Chelsea a short time ago.

23/02/2024, 11:15 AM +00:00

This Sunday Liverpool and Chelsea will compete for the first title of the season. They will face each other at Wembley Stadium for the final of the Carabao Cup, the third most important tournament in England. The Reds reached this stage after beating Leicester City 3-1, Bournemouth 2-1, West Ham United 5-1 and Fulham 3-2 on aggregate. The Blues beat Brighton & Hove Albion 1-0, Blackburn Rovers 2-0, Newcastle in penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw and Middlesbrough 3-2 on aggregate.

For Mauricio Pochettino's team this will be perhaps the most important game of the season, considering that they are not competing internationally and no longer have a chance of winning the Premier League. But for Liverpool it is very different: they are the only English team that can win all four tournaments of the season, as they have had an almost perfect performance so far.

Jürgen Klopp must be very satisfied with the level his team has shown, while the players must also be happy, as the coach has found a way to give opportunities to all of them. One of those who has had the most participation in the team is Darwin Nuñez. The Uruguayan striker has been key this season with 13 goals and 11 assists in 37 games considering all competitions.

Those numbers are incredible and show the growth of Darwin, who in his first year at Anfield Road had trouble adapting. In fact, he even had chances to leave during the summer transfer window. According to The Times, Chelsea's sporting director Paul Winstanley consulted if the striker was willing to move to Stamford Bridge before the start of this season, but Liverpool ultimately refused to let him go because of Klopp's confidence in him.

He has a unique opportunity

Darwin Nuñez started his professional career at Peñarol in Uruguay at a very young age. He played there for only three years, but was champion six times. However, since his arrival in Europe things have been very different for him: neither at Almeria nor at Benfica was Darwin able to win titles, while with Liverpool he only celebrated the Community Shield 2022. That is why the Carabao Cup could be his first major title in Europe.