John Barnes says Liverpool could potentially have the best player in the world in their squad

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Liverpool’s inactivity in the transfer market is partly down to the quality already within their squad.

The Reds are yet to make any kind of signing since Arne Slot took over from Jurgen Klopp at the end of the season.

Although it does looks as though Liverpool will do business in August, there remains a feeling that only some slight tweaking is necessary.

This is a group that went close in the Premier League last year. With players growing and developing, and some stars coming through the Liverpool academy, too, there’s plenty of scope to go one step further.

And according to Reds icon John Barnes, there is one player within the Liverpool squad who could hold the potential to be ‘the best player in the world.’

John Barnes highlights Darwin Nunez potential

Some Liverpool supporters will no doubt be growing frustrated by their club’s lack of transfer activity so far this summer.

However, it should be remembered that the group that Arne Slot has taken over is full of real quality. Some of which is yet to be fully realised.

There is perhaps no one in the team who this applies to more than Darwin Nunez. Two years on from his arrival at Anfield, and we’re still trying to grapple with just how good Nunez is.

Despite a poor end to the season, Slot expects Nunez to be a key player for him. And speaking to The Daily Mail, Barnes says if only the Uruguayan could add more goals to his game, he could be a world beater.

“He can fire us to the title without scoring 40 goals,” the Liverpool legend says of Nunez. “You don’t have to compete with anybody else.

READ MORE: Arne Slot reveals what he’s already told Darwin Nunez about his Liverpool future

“What he can do, Erling Haaland can’t do. You look at the hard work he gives and he chases around. Erling Haaland doesn’t do that but he scores lots of goals.

“If he [Nunez] did that as well as scoring 40 goals, he’d be the best player in the world,” Barnes proclaims. “With what he has, as well as chipping in with the goals, as well as his attitude, work rate, commitment, he’s fine for Liverpool.

“We want perfection – we want him to do what Erling Haaland does. But we’d want Haaland to hold up the ball better than he does.

“In terms of what Nunez gives us, yes, we’d like him to score more goals. If he could score more goals like Robbie Fowler and do what else he does, he’d be the best player in the world.”

Can Nunez improve his goal record?

If Nunez can double his goal tally of last season, then he will certainly have a case to be among the world’s best players.

If the 25-year-old has done that, it will mean that he has worked on his finishing and is no longer missing guilt-edged chances for Liverpool.

Should that happen, then no Red supporter will be angling for Nunez to be going anywhere.

As Barnes says, the No.9 gives so much in terms of workrate, tenacity and generally being a handful for the opposition. But he just doesn’t stick the ball in the net enough.

Whether he can do that next season under Slot is likely to be telling for the rest of his Liverpool career. Get it right, and he could go on to become an icon at Anfield. Get it wrong, and he may be out the door next summer. Big season ahead for Darwin.