‘Never thought I’d say this’ – Alex Mac Allister sends message to former Liverpool teammate

Jan 1, 2026 - 17:00

It appears there’s still plenty of love for Darwin Nunez in the Liverpool dressing room.

Current Reds star Alexis Mac Allister rang in the New Year by telling the striker how much he is missed on Merseyside – although couldn’t resist a cheeky dig at his old teammate too.

Nunez is a cult hero at Anfield and it’s clear his former Liverpool teammates still have a lot for the chaotic Uruguayan

Nunez will go down in modern Liverpool history as one of the signings supporters most wanted to work out… but didn’t.

Signed for £85million (including add-ons), the Uruguayan arrived with hope he would lead the line for years to come and be the club’s answer to Erling Haaland.

He certainly showed his eye for the goal in his time in a Liverpool shirt, although earned a reputation for scoring the difficult chances and missing the easy ones.

That lack of clinical touch in front of goal was ultimately what brought an early end to his Anfield career.

Fans could not fault his effort, enthusiasm, love for the club, the way he linked up with teammates, his sheer pace and power and the utter chaos he created in all areas of the pitch.

But at the end of the day, a striker’s job is to score goals, and Nunez would more often be a source of frustration than jubilation.

You only have to look at summer signing Hugo Ekitike and how quickly he has clicked into the team – 11 goals in 25 games with two assists – to see what a difference a clinical finisher makes, both in terms of results and the impression he’s made on supporters in such a short space of time.

It appears Arne Slot made up his mind about Nunez rather quickly after replacing Jurgen Klopp.

The frontman went from having a manager akin to a supportive uncle always rooting for you to do well, to a more ruthless manager who demanded results, and patience soon wore thin.

His role was immediately reduced under Slot’s tenure, which saw him start just eight games in their victorious Premier League title campaign and stay on the pitch for the entire 90 minutes only seven times all season, in all competitions.

Mac Allister has endured a mixed season at Anfield this campaign

Darwin Núñez of Liverpool reacts during a Premier League match. — While he was loved by fans, Nunez was often a source of frustration and only scored seven goals in his final Liverpool season as he was dropped by Slot

He departed in the summer to the tune of £56.6m to Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal, leaving Liverpool with a record of 40 goals and 26 assists in 143 appearances.

But for many Reds supporters, Nunez will always have a fond place in their hearts – and it appears he left a lasting impression on his teammates too.

Current Liverpool stars have often been seen still communicating with Nunez on social media, and Mac Allister was the latest to drop into his comments on Instagram.

Looking back on his personal and professional achievements in 2025, Nunez posted a series of photos including one of himself, Mac Allister and Alisson basking in the glory of their Premier League title triumph on the Anfield turf.

“I leave behind an unbeatable year in which I completed my family with my daughter Isabella and won my first PL title,” Nunez wrote.

“2025 you will always be in my heart.”

Mac Allister and some of Liverpool’s other stars keep on touch with Nunez on social media

One of the first to comment was Mac Allister, who wrote in reply: “Never thought I’d be saying this but I miss you bro.”

With Nunez writing back: “I miss you too bro. Happy new year.”

What sounds like a backhanded compliment from the Liverpool midfielder is clearly just a joke between teammates, and a friendly rivalry stemming from their respective nations Argentina and Uruguay.

But after the disaster [so far] that has been the signing of Alexander Isak for a club-record £125m [rising to £130m with add-ons], some Liverpool supporters might be looking back on 2025 and wondering if it was a mistake to let their agent of chaos go so easily.

Since becoming a Liverpool player after a long, drawn-out summer transfer saga, Isak has been a huge disappointment for the Reds.

Arriving short of match fitness after going on strike and missing Newcastle’s pre-season, Isak only played in four of Liverpool’s first 11 Premier League games of the season.

Alexander Isak reacts during Liverpool's 2-1 defeat to Manchester United — Following Nunez’s exit, Liverpool invested huge money in Isak, but the Swede has been another source of disappointment in the No.9 shirt

Meanwhile, Ekitike – who arrived at Anfield with almost no expectation on him – has clicked instantly and is leading the line with style

He has managed just three goals in 16 appearances all competitions and there is now major doubt over whether he will play again this season after suffering a leg fracture in the 2-1 victory over Tottenham, albeit while scoring their opening goal.

The Swede will be hoping to hit the ground running when he’s back in action… or he may well face the same fate as Nunez.