The Uruguayan sensation has caught the attention of big European clubs, but the Reds are said to be at the forefront of getting his signature.
Liverpool seem to be changing the attacking trio of Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino with new players.
Mane continues to be linked with a move away from Anfield, and Bayern Munich are reportedly continuing to pursue the Senegal international’s signature.
Meanwhile, Salah has yet to sign a new deal, with his current contract set to expire at the end of the 2022/23 season.
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Now, Liverpool are said to be in the hunt for Uruguayan sensation Darwin Nunez, who last season scored 34 goals in 41 appearances for Benfica in various competitions.
GOAL know that The Reds confident of signing the 22-year-old, they are reportedly ready to shell out more than £75 million ($94 million), which would break a club record.
But before that, let’s discuss who is Nunez?
Born in Artigas, Uruguay on June 24, 1999, Nunez started his football journey at Penarol, which is seven hours from his birthplace.
But thanks to his persistence and in order to realize his dreams, Nunez really focused on honing his skills in processing the round skin.
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He also broke into Penarol’s senior team in 2017 and made his debut on November 22 of that year, when his team lost 2-1 to River Plate, playing 27 minutes in that match.
In the 2017/18 season he made his first full season for Penarol, scoring his debut goal in October against CA Fenix, and it was the only goal he scored that season.
Nunez’s career was threatened when he suffered a recurring knee injury that kept him out for long periods of time.
However, his quality was spotted by Spanish club Almeria who then signed him in August 2019.
With Almeria Nunez’s abilities became sharper, although he had suffered several injuries, but he was able to score 16 goals in 32 matches in all competitions and led his club to finish fourth in La Liga 2.
In the summer of 2020, Benfica made a bet on a player who was then 21 years old and brought him to Portugal for a transfer fee of €24 million.
And Benfica became a career spike that was extraordinary for Nunez. In his debut season, he played 43 times and recorded 13 and 12 assist.
The Uruguay international also led Benfica to a third-place finish in 2020/21.
Then in 2021/22, the sensation of Nunez is getting more widespread. In addition to the 34 goals he has scored in 41 games, his performances in the Champions League have also drawn praise, including Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp.
The Reds also faced Benfica in the Champions League quarter-finals, with Salah cs winning 6-4 on aggregate.
And Klopp was amazed by the performance of Nunez, who scored twice in both legs of the match.
“A very handsome boy, eh? And also a decent player. Very good, very good,” Klopp said in his press conference before the second leg against Benfica at Anfield.
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“I knew beforehand, of course, but he played quite a lot in front of me with his tough fight against Ibrahima Konate [di leg satu].”
“He is physically strong, fast, calm in finishing. Good, he is very good. I always say in this situation if he is healthy, a big career is ahead of him.”
With his complete attributes as a striker, he can play in the centre-forward or left-forward position, and that would be a perfect fit for Klopp’s 4-3-3 scheme at Liverpool.
Of course, The Reds still have Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota, who can also play in these two positions, but the presence of Nunez will of course provide more competition in Liverpool’s attack and it will make their attacking creations more options and lethal.
In addition, at only 22 years old, Nunez still has a lot of room to develop and that could make him a great long-term prospect. The Reds — in addition he can also become a mainstay of the club’s attack line in the near future.
