Excitement continues to build as Liverpool attempt to thrash out a deal for Benfica striker Darwin Nunez, and that's good news for Jamie Carragher.
Uruguayan Nunez is understood to be the subject of an £85million plus add-ons offer put to the Eagles that would seemingly provide a swift replacement for wantaway forward Sadio Mane. And if the deal should come to fruition, the arrival of the 22-year-old will finally answer an issue former Red Jamie Carragher has had with Jurgen Klopp's forward line for some time - that lack of an orthodox striker
Speaking previously to Sky Sports, pundit Carragher said: "You look at Bobby Firmino and Liverpool’s attacking players, they don’t actually have a striker. (Diogo) Jota is not a striker, same with Mane, same with (Mohamed) Salah. They have Divock Origi but he’s nowhere near good enough. And he a lot of the time plays out wide, because he can’t play as a centre-forward.
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"So Firmino plays that role but we always talk about him being a ‘false nine’, he’s not actually an out-and-out striker. I think Liverpool could do with bringing a striker in, just to shake things up and primarily someone who gets goals. I think there’s too much pressure on those two players at the top of the pitch to score goals. If they don’t score, Liverpool don’t look like scoring."
With Origi's contract expired and Mane likely to move elsewhere, the Reds' formidable forward line is now undertaking some real re-engineering. Nunez appears to fit the bill perfectly and should the deal get done, Liverpool will have once again moved decisively to secure a key target.
The Benfica star certainly has the numbers to back up his current lofty standing in European football. Nunez scored 32 goals in 38 appearances for the Portuguese giants last season and is a Uruguayan international. And with age on his side, Reds fans will be confident that the conventional 'number nine', who also happens to have a blistering turn of pace, can successfully lead the Liverpool front line for years to come.
