Robbie Fowler has backed Darwin Nunez to succeed at Liverpool in fulfilling the role that has been ‘missing’ for ‘a good few years’.
The 23-year-old arrived at Anfield for what could end up a record-breaking £85million earlier this summer after a standout season with Benfica, with 34 goals across all competitions including both legs of April’s Champions League quarter-final defeat to the Reds.
He has featured regularly for Jurgen Klopp’s side during pre-season, scoring four of Liverpool’s five goals against RB Leipzig last week, and looks to have settled in quickly among the squad. And despite coming in to replace Sadio Mane, following his move to German outfit Bayern Munich, Nunez’s profile as the archetypal number nine differs from the Senegalese international and anyone else at Anfield.
PLAYER RATINGS: Fabio Carvalho exciting and Joe Gomez rusty against Salzburg
TRANSFER TALK: Roberto Firmino has already confirmed his stance on Liverpool exit
And Liverpool legend Fowler - an elite forward himself in his heyday - has backed the Uruguayan to hit the ground running, stressing his excitement that Klopp has filled a role that has been ‘missing’ for so long.
"Disappointed in the Mane one in all fairness,” Fowler told BBC Sport Merseyside when asked about transfers. “I don't think they could have kept Mane and Salah in terms of the demands for the wages, but I’ve said plenty of times how good I think Mane is, I love watching him.
“But I'm obviously very buoyed by the fact they’ve got Darwin Nunez. I think he’s a good player and he will score goals - there’s the fact that he’s been in Champions League games and scored against some top teams. I think he’ll understand what the demands of the Premier League are all about.
“We’ve been missing this type of player for a good few years now and as much as Firmino’s played that role - and Mane towards the end of last season - I don't think we've had the archetypal type of number nine that I want to see. Someone who wants to play on the defender's shoulders, someone who wants to get over the back line and I think we've got that with him.
“It’s a gamble, we all know it’s a gamble but I think it's a gamble that Jurgen and his staff are prepared to take because of his exploits in the Champions League and what he was like in Portugal.”
READ NEXT
