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New Liverpool forward Darwin Nunez has stated that Roberto Firmino, Fabinho, Luis Diaz and Fabio Carvalho have helped him settle in at Anfield.
Nunez joined the Reds from Portuguese outfit SL Benfica earlier this summer on a club-record deal worth up to £85 million. The Uruguayan is expected to take over from Sadio Mane, who joined Bayern Munich in the ongoing transfer window after six years at Merseyside.
While his price tag will inevitably bring about an element of pressure and expectation, Nunez seems to be settling in well at Liverpool. Asked about the players who have helped him acclimatize to his new surroundings, he told the club's official website (as quoted by Rousing the Kop):
“[Roberto] Firmino, Fabinho, Luis Diaz and Fabio [Carvalho], who only arrived recently too. Then the rest of my teammates too, they all made me feel right at home, all of them.”
Nunez acknowledged the presence of a language barrier, but also provided a glimpse into how he has continued to communicate with his teammates:
“I don’t speak or really understand English but being honest, we are making each other understand using sign language!”
The 23-year-old continued:
“It was the South Americans who helped me the most at that time when it came to integrating with the rest of the group. But it’s going well. Even now they’re the guys who I tend to get together with the most because then I can maintain a fluent conversation because I can hardly speak a word of English to you right now.”
Darwin Nunez nets on official debut as Liverpool lift FA Community Shield
Liverpool endured a mixed pre-season campaign ahead of the start of the 2022-23 Premier League season. Jurgen Klopp's troops suffered defeats against arch-rivals Manchester United, Red Bull Salzburg and RC Strasbourg.
However, the Reds came up with a fantastic display between those defeats to beat Red Bull Leipzig 5-0. Darwin Nunez was the star of the show, netting four goals in the second half alone to add to Mohamed Salah's early opener.
Nunez added to his tally in his side's penultimate pre-season match against Manchester City in the FA Community Shield on July 30. After coming off the bench in the 59th minute, he played a key role in winning a penalty, which was converted by Salah. The Uruguayan was then on hand to score the final goal in a 3-1 victory.
Nunez will now hope to open his Premier League account when Liverpool take on Fulham at Craven Cottage on Saturday (August 6).
