Darwin Nunez cost Liverpool £8.5m after incident with Man City boss Pep Guardiola

If Jurgen Klopp had arranged a transfer from Liverpool for Arne Slot as he left Anfield, he could have included an instruction manual on how to defuse a furious Darwin Nunez.

Only the German knows how many times he has been forced to intervene as a peacemaker when tempers flare. Pep Guardiola knows it too after being the target of the 25-year-old's ire in the past.

Nunez has gained a reputation as a hothead, with one red card and 15 yellows in his 112 appearances for the Reds.

The £85m striker hasn't quite made good on his initial promise at Anfield following his club record move from Benfica in July 2022. That deal included a £64m fee paid from progress, with additions and installments to follow in the future. .

Two of them have already been paid, totaling £12.8 million. Liverpool forked out £4.3m when Nunez made 10 appearances and coughed up a further £8.5m when he reached 60 appearances, which coincided with Guardiola's infamous tangle.

The final £8.5million will depend on whether they succeed in the Premier League or Champions League and whether Nunez starts shooting in front of goal. At this time there is no guarantee on this.

The Uruguayan's meager return of three goals in 15 matches this season, including eight starts, explains why he is not a regular. The worrying thing is that he has now been booked as many times as he has found the net for the Merseyside side.

As Slot prepares to face Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday, he may well consider whether or not to take the gamble on offering Nunez a starting place.

Almost a year to the day since Nunez faced Guardiola, Liverpool and City find themselves in another title showdown – but this time the Reds are firmly in the ascendancy. Eight points ahead, 10 wins out of 12 and just one defeat so far this season.

This is going so well for Slot that starting an excited Nunez now represents a risk. The Uruguayan offers pace, height and power up front, but is often a target for defenders looking to shut down the explosive striker.

He's also not afraid of getting embroiled in clashes with coaches, as his scuffle with Guardiola in last year's match showed.

While the pair initially shook hands in a somewhat friendly manner when they spotted each other after the final whistle, they had to be separated by Klopp as they exchanged words in their native Spanish.

Klopp said of Nunez's shock: “I'm not sure it's me who should explain it. It wasn't me who was involved – surprisingly. I love them both and was just trying to keep them apart. I didn't understand a word but it was emotion. That's all. Pep wants to win, we want to win.

Guardiola told Sky Sports that “nothing happened”, before later adding in his press conference: “He is stronger than me! There is no problem.

Liverpool don't need to beat City. In fact, if any team needs a win, it's Guardiola's. They have lost five games in a row – the first time that has happened in his managerial career – and have just lost 4-0 to a mediocre Tottenham side.

League leaders just need to make sure they don't lose the game or encourage the city to fight back. They've already spent a huge amount to sign Nunez – they can't afford to add the title on top of that.