Arsenal are tracking Benfica striker Darwin Nunez ahead of a potential summer move, football.london understands as Mikel Arteta looks to strengthen his frontline for next season.
Portuguese newspaper Record has also stated that the Gunners are pushing a ‘charm offensive’ to convince him about joining the club, adding they are ‘a few steps above’ other interested parties and could ‘seduce’ the player.
So with the transfer links in mind, I ensured I kept a very close eye on Nunez during Benfica's Champions League clash with Liverpool on Tuesday evening. Despite Jurgen Klopp's side coming out 3-1 winners, the Uruguayan international certainly put on a good show for the most part.
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Taking on players with confidence, skilful on the ball and showcasing his versatility across the frontline, Nunez topped off a promising audition against Premier League opposition when he found the back of the net in the second half, calmly slotting the ball past Alisson under pressure.
However, one concerning theme did present itself during the 90 minutes and it's one that will need to be addressed if Arsenal get their man in the summer. Nunez fell to the ground several times following minimal contact and on one occasion, there didn't appear to be any contact at all. The most frustrating part about it was that he would have found himself in some really dangerous positions had he stayed on his feet and progressed with the ball.
Shortly after getting one back for his side, Nunez again picked up the ball inside the 18-yard box and went one on one with Virgil van Dijk. As he successfully appeared to cut inside to get a shot away, Nunez went down after the Liverpool defender put his arm across the chest of the forward in an attempt to stop him from getting in on goal.
Just like most of the times Nunez went to ground, the referee waved it away and allowed play to continue. Despite former ref Peter Walton believing Liverpool were lucky to get away with it, there didn't seem to be anywhere near enough contact for the 22-year-old to go down as he did.
The incidents left BT Sport commentator Steve McManaman repeating himself over and over again, highlighting that Nunez was hitting the deck far too easily. It's something that Mikel Arteta must be aware of and rectify should the player arrive at London Colney in the coming months.
The Premier League is physical and officials bear that in mind when deciding what is and what isn't a foul. Although I'm very much a believer that the game has got increasingly softer over the years, I still don't think Nunez would have had much luck winning over the referee if the game was being played in England's top-flight division.
I'm a big fan of Nunez and there's no doubt that he is a quality player who can flourish at Arsenal. But if he cuts out the unnecessary theatrics, then he can become even better and increase his chances of adjusting to the Premier League much faster.
