Nunez has had only a bit-part role in Liverpool's title winning season and Saunders admits he can't put his finger on why it hasn't worked out for the Uruguay international.
He told Tribalfootball.com: “I’m not sure why it hasn’t worked out with Darwin Nunez at Liverpool, because he’s a hard worker, and there’s definitely a player in there.
"But he has to score more goals, and I don’t think Slot will persist with him based on what I have seen in Slot’s interviews. Sometimes you can just tell when the manager has lost faith in a player, and I think that’s the case for Nunez.
“I think you can tell in Nunez’s game recently that he is already thinking about moving on. Strikers tend to sulk when things aren’t going their way, and he is rarely starting games or contributing much. But I wouldn’t be surprised that if he does move he scores loads of goals, as he has shown in glimpses that he has the tools for finishing. I imagine Liverpool will sell him to fund another striker.”
Don't sell Watkins
Saunders is also a former Aston Villa star and says it would be crazy for the club to sell Ollie Watkins. The England international saw a move to Arsenal fall through in January.
But Saunders says Villa must do what they can to keep hold of the centre-forward.
He continued: “Aston Villa would be foolish to sell Watkins this summer, but plenty of teams will come knocking. He could be more clinical, but he has still scored plenty of goals, and he was the reason they got into the Champions League and stayed in the competition up until the quarter-finals stage.
“Season after season, I always think Watkins is improving, and every striker has dry spells in front of goal, but just around the corner is the vein of form where you can’t miss a chance. Unai Emery needs to show some faith in Watkins, there is no way he should be on the bench in the huge games that he has been in favour of Rashford starting, who hasn’t scored half the goals he has this season."
Emery or Slot?
Given the success of Unai Emery with Watkins and also Mohamed Salah's season with Liverpool under Arne Slot, Saunders was also asked which manager he would've preferred to have played for during his day.
He replied: “I think my preference would be to play under Slot. His team at Liverpool would be able to find me in better positions faster, and that’s what I thrived on.
"I liked catching defenders out latching onto balls over the top, and early crosses, most teams in the modern game just like keeping possession, which allows defenders to set and get comfortable. So, I think Slot’s faster style of play would be better for me.”
- Dean Saunders was speaking to Tribalfootball.com on behalf of CasinoReviews.net