Luis Suarez has revealed that soon-to-be new Liverpool signing Darwin Nunez has shown immense potential since he was a teenager.
Nunez is expected to be announced as the Reds’ second signing of this summer soon, following the arrival of Fabio Carvalho from Fulham previously. The striker is set to cost Jurgen Klopp’s side £64million, though that fee could rise to £85m will add-ons.
With Sadio Mane expected to depart for Bayern Munich soon, signing a forward has become a priority at Anfield. Nunez scored 26 goals and assisted four last season for Benfica, though his impressive goal-scoring figures won’t have been too much of a shock to former Reds hero Suarez.
He told Gerard Romero on Twitch: “I recommended Darwin to Barcelona when he was at Almeria. I have 15 years of international experience. I know a thing or two about forwards.
“I told them, ‘pay attention to this one, he’s very good, he shows interesting things’. They told me he was at Almeria and that he was too young. But instead of paying now €80m, €90m or €100m, they would’ve paid €15m or €20m and have him there as a substitute."
Of course, it is unknown whether Nunez will have progressed into the striker he is today if he had joined Barcelona as a teenager. However, given the financial situation at the Camp Nou, the club may not regret taking up the advice of Suarez given that they now could have cashed in.
Nunez is set to sign a six-year deal in Merseyside, showcasing that he is seen as a long-term option by Klopp. The club are set to lose Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah next summer, and the length of Nunez’s deal suggests that the club are not willing to take any chances anymore.
Manchester United and Atletico Madrid were also in the race for the 22-year-old, though a bidding war never ensued because the player was always keen to join Liverpool. The Times revealed that Klopp and Virgil Van Dijk both played ‘important roles’ in persuading Nunez to sign, holding conversations with the forward back in April when Liverpool took on Benfica in the Champions League quarter-finals.
Van Dijk’s chat may have proved important for Nunez, as well as name-dropping him in his list of toughest opponents earlier this season. Ahead of the Champions League final, the former Southampton defender said: “I’ve played against Sergio Aguero, who was obviously unbelievable. (Lionel) Messi, arguably the best player in the history of football, in my opinion.
“(Kylian) Mbappe is different, quick... (Erling) Haaland, also Darwin (Nunez). He’s a bit similar, very direct and quick, tall and strong. It’s quite difficult to play against those guys.” It remains to be seen how Nunez takes to life in the Premier League, and whether he can continue his rapid progression through the ranks in England to help the club return to the top of the Premier League and overhaul Manchester City, who will be hoping that their signing of Erling Haaland can prevent such a feat.
