Chelsea have been linked with a move for Benfica striker Darwin Nunez in the summer, following a fantastic year for the forward. The Uruguayan has become one of the names to look out for in the transfer window, with the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United eyeing the 22-year-old for the future.
It’s little surprise either, given his 24 goals in 24 league appearances this season, as well as competing on the Champions League stage with five goals in nine appearances. His most recent strike in the competition came against Liverpool, which led to Jurgen Klopp praising his ability.
The German claimed he will have a “big career” ahead of him, stating in his pre-match press conference: “He played in front of me battling against Konate. He was calm for the finish. He is good, really good. If he stays healthy, he has a big career ahead of him.”
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It’s a glowing endorsement from a manager who clearly has an eye for talent. If the Blues were to try and fit him into Thomas Tuchel ’s side, they would have to pay a hefty fee though.
Journalist Fabrizio Romano reports that Nunez is set to leave Benfica for roughly €80million (£67million) this summer. While it could be worth it to some, Tuchel may not need to splash out to sign the forward.
The German coach could, instead, turn to one player who has similar attributes to that of the youngster in order to save some money. That forward is Timo Werner, whose pace is equal to that of Nunez.
While the 26-year-old’s confidence has been relatively low since moving to Stamford Bridge, the game against Southampton showed glimpses of what he is capable of. His two goals could and should have been more, hitting the woodwork three times, causing the Saints all sorts of havoc.
His 21 goals across all competitions since he joined doesn’t make for the greatest reading, though if he finds the confidence and levels he had in Germany, he could easily take those numbers up a notch. His ability on the shoulder is similar to Nunez and his finishing can reach the same levels, which leaves only one main difference between the two.
What the Benfica striker manages to do so well, standing just above six foot one inch, is compete physically. This, interestingly, is something that Tuchel has recently addressed surrounding Werner.
Speaking after the win at the weekend, the head coach said: “He [Werner] needs to adapt and adapt to the physicality still of the league. It’s still a process and the process is surely not finished, but it [the two goals] was of course a big step in the right direction.”
If Tuchel can manage to unlock this side of the game along with the confidence to score freely, the Blues could have a goal scoring machine on their hands once again. It would mean that a move for Nunez isn’t needed and could save them millions in the transfer market.
