Manchester City announced the signature of Erling Haaland on Monday morning. He will lead the line for the Etihad club next season, and inevitable comparisons will be made with Darwin Nunez once he arrives on Merseyside.
Liverpool appear on the verge of signing the Benfica striker for an initial fee of around £64m. This summer, the best two sides in the Premier League are deciding to bolster their attacks by acquiring true poachers in the transfer market.
The pair will almost be in the direct competition with each other moving forward. The perceived success of Nunez's transfer will largely be determined by his performances against Haaland, and vice versa.
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Upon inspection of the duo, they are notably similar in terms of what they offer on the pitch. For a start, Nunez is 6-foot-2 and Haaland is 6-foot-4.
Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola look set to benefit from real height in the penalty box for the first time in England, with both players possessing the necessary qualities to score plenty of headers from crosses.
Despite their size, both players are also quick enough to pose a threat in behind. Nunez and Haaland combine physicality with pace, which is why Virgil van Dijk recently ranked them as among his toughest opponents.
"Haaland but also Darwin," said the Reds centre-back when asked by Rio Ferdinand on BT Sport. "He's similar. Very direct, quick, tall, strong. It's quite difficult to play against those guys."
As well as acting as focal points for their respective teams, the two strikers will be able to get on the end of through balls. In fact, 13% of Nunez's shots in the Portuguese top-flight originated from through balls last season, compared to Sadio Mane's 15% in the Premier League.
Nunez and Haaland are particularly inclined to thrive on the counter-attack, showcasing an ability to remain composed when finishing high-speed moves.
The former scored a total of 26 goals in his domestic league last season, whereas the latter found the net 22 times. Both players overperformed Expected Goals (xG) in the process, which offers an insight into their finishing proficiency in comparison to the average player.
Klopp and Guardiola will each have to adjust to accommodate their new stars, especially given how Liverpool and City have behaved in possession for the past two seasons. With neither side fielding a traditional striker, every player for both sides has been inclined to engage in build-up play.
Nunez and Haaland, on the other hand, tend to be less involved with constructing moves, instead demonstrating a preference to conclude them by attempting to score in the penalty box. They are focused on goals far more than creating for others.
Ultimately, Nunez and Haaland are comparable across the board.
The champions of England are getting a clinical striker who is tall, imposing, fast, youthful and unlikely to drop into deeper areas, and the team who finished just one point behind them last season are essentially getting the same from their man.
The player who delivers the most in his debut campaign could end up deciding the fate of next year's Premier League title.
