The Reds are precise and only sign players who complement the team’s playing style.
The club recently signed the Benfica striker at approximately $103. 8million or £85 million
This makes him the club’s second-most expensive signing in history.
Players like Nunez will guide the team into a new era as the club goes through a transition phase. The 22-year-old will captain the club’s forward line for the foreseeable future.
Darwin Nunez recently moved to Liverpool at a £85 million transfer fee. Photo: MARCA
Players such as Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane, and Mohamed Salah are not getting any younger. Besides, Mane is set to leave the club, so there was a need for Klopp to move quickly and find a replacement.
Darwin Nunez appears to have joined Manchester City in bringing Erling Haaland to the English Premier League.
Both clubs compete vigorously for the league title and make fantastic market moves. Nunez will help the Reds mount a more substantial challenge in the coming season, and here is why.
The numbers
Statistics, as they say, never lie. Here are Darwin Nunez’s stats from the 2021-22 season with Benfica to give you an idea of what he brings to the club.
In 41 appearances across all competitions, the forward scored 34 goals and provided four assists. Six of those 34 goals came in just ten UEFA Champions League games.
In addition, he scored twice against Liverpool in the tournament, once in each leg of the quarter-final.
In the competition, he also scored against Bayern Munich and Barcelona. He scored 47 goals and assisted 16 times in 84 appearances for SL Benfica.
With 26 goals in Liga Portugal, the striker also won the golden boot. Given these figures, it’s no surprise that Liverpool paid such a high price for the striker.
To secure the club
The age of Darwin Nunez is a significant factor in his high transfer fee. He is only 22 years old and possesses enormous potential.
Darwin Nunez. Photo: Youtube
Despite his youth, he exhibits a high level of competence in his performances. With players like Firmino and Salah reaching the end of their careers and becoming older, the club has moved quickly to find replacements.
Nunez completed the overhaul after Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz arrived before him.
Liverpool must go through a transitional phase like every other top club and recruit wisely. The Uruguayan contract runs until 2028. The club’s forward line is in capable hands for the next six years.
Tactical genius
Nunez strengthens Liverpool’s attacking lineup. With Mane scheduled to leave, the club was meant to look for a replacement left-winger.
However, with the arrival of Luis Diaz and Mane’s shift to a central role, the club set out on a journey of a No.9 instead. Nunez excels in this role, serving as a focal point.
He excels at utilising gaps behind the defensive line and making in-depth runs. Thiago, for example, will appreciate a runner behind the line who aims to provide him with through balls.
The forward is also physically present. He is a threat in aerial situations and can overpower defenders due to his 6’2″ height.
With Nunez invading defenders in the centre, Diaz and Salah on the wings will have more space to cut inside and create more opportunities to score.
He also likes to occupy space on the left to get on the ball, a typical trait of Liverpool forwards who provide flowability.
Hunger for goals
Darwin Nunez enjoys collaborating with other attackers and can fill various roles in the offensive line.
However, the striker shares the same aggression and hunger for goals as his countryman and former Red Luis Suarez. Nunez scored a goal every 77 minutes in the Portuguese league, an incredible feat.
In the aspect of shots per game, the striker averaged three. He used his imagination to create ten ample opportunities for his teammates.
The striker also enjoys getting into the box, as evidenced by 193 touches inside the opposition box (second-best in Liga Portugal).
He already has scored twice for Uruguay’s national team in 11 appearances and appears eager to add to his count.
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