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But there was a satisfying consistency to the reaction of Darwin Nunez's imminent departure that was very much in keeping with his Anfield career.

If the news the Uruguayan's long-time suitors, Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal, had thrashed out a deal for the forward wasn't much of a surprise, eyebrows were raised at the proposed £46million fee for a player whom Liverpool committed to pay almost double that when taking him from Benfica three years ago.

The general view on the funds raised?



Not bad, but it could have been more.

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And that perhaps provides a fitting epitaph for a Reds stay in which the end product, if by no means disappointing, didn't quite match up to expectations or potential.

While Nunez never gave the impression of being overly perturbed by succeeding Virgil van Dijk as Liverpool's club record transfer, the £85.5m fee - even if the Reds haven't had to pay full whack with not all of the add-on clauses having been met - was used as a stick with which to beat the striker.

He may have been a favourite with many on the Kop - his name often chanted even after the most cursory of contributions - but there were those, including a number from within the Liverpool fanbase, who quickly grew frustrated with Nunez's ability to go from the ridiculous to the sublime back to the ridiculous again.

Often in the same match.

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There's no doubt in terms of outlay Nunez has proven a rare and expensive misfire by Liverpool, notably a signing championed strongly by then-boss Jurgen Klopp rather than the data-influenced recruitment team.

But his time at Anfield hasn't been a failure.

For those who point to Liverpool having won the League Cup and last season the Premier League with Nunez in the squad, the counter will be the 26-year-old was injured for the Wembley win over Chelsea in 2024 and has started only one top-flight match since Boxing Day.

And while his goal return was decent under Klopp, Nunez, no matter how hard he endeavoured, has never been a comfortable fit after the shift in attacking emphasis following the arrival of Arne Slot as head coach last summer, increasingly a player of moments - such as Brentford and Paris Saint-Germain away - rather than regular performance.

Nunez, then, can be filed alongside Naby Keita in the Anfield annals, another player who arrived for big money and picked up a number of pieces of silverware, but, for admittedly differing reasons, rarely looked like he could fully justify a weighty transfer fee.

In truth, Liverpool's fortunes with record signings during the Premier League era have largely been positive.

Only Andy Carroll could be construed as a genuine flop - and even then contributed goals in the FA Cup semi-final and final - while an apparent disappointment such as Djibril Cisse still managed to score a penalty in a Champions League final, a goal in the FA Cup final and a brace in the UEFA Super Cup final, all of which were won by the Reds.

And that will augur well for Florian Wirtz, who became Liverpool's 26th record signing since the Second World War when arriving for £116m from Bayer Leverkusen in June.

Speaking earlier this week, Wirtz demonstrated a healthily dismissive attitude about his fee.

"I don’t think about this," he said." How much money the clubs pay between each other doesn’t matter."

Of course, if Liverpool intensify their interest in Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak before the September 1 transfer deadline, there's every chance Wirtz will have the shortest-ever reign as the Reds' most expensive buy.

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But as Nunez has proven over the last three years, even divisive record signings can leave a lasting mark at Liverpool - and pick up the odd piece of silverware on the way.
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