Núñez is close to completing his transfer to Liverpool, with an announcement expected soon, as the Reds are looking to close the gap with reigning champions Manchester City.
Darwin Núñez approaches transfer to Liverpool (
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One of Liverpool’s reasons for making a record club move for Darwin Núñez came after Virgil van Dijk’s previous comments resurfaced.
The Reds are close to signing Núñez from Benfica for a total fee of £ 80 million. The Uruguayan has impressed with the Portuguese giants, with Liverpool beating players like Manchester United in the race to sign him.
Núñez plays mainly as a central striker, which means he is unlikely to be signed as a direct replacement for Sadio Mané. It is understood that the Senegalese international is ready to leave Anfield, with Bayern Munich as his most likely destination.
Sadio Mane can be left in no man’s land, as Bayern Munich hint that the transfer could be dead. Messages from Jurgen Klopp and Virgil van Dijk to Darwin Núñez when Liverpool transfer agreed
Although he played a more central role after the arrival of Luis Díaz in January, Mané has usually been played on the far left by Jurgen Klopp. With Roberto Firmino also suffering setbacks due to injury, reinforcements are needed in attack this summer.
These boosts will also be needed to keep up with title rivals Manchester City, who have added their own superstar signing. Pep Guardiola’s men will see Erling Haaland arrive at the Etihad Stadium this summer, although it has not yet been officially unveiled.
Haaland is widely regarded as one of the best strikers in the world and his arrival will only make Liverpool’s task of knocking down Premier League champions more difficult. The Reds were never really in the running to sign Haaland, who was being chased by many of Europe’s top clubs.
Virgil van Dijk has previously compared Núñez to Manchester City’s new signing Erling Haaland (
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But the signing of Núñez can give them a player with a similar mold, which would certainly be a great benefit. This is the opinion of Van Dijk in any case, who has previously compared the 22-year-old with the incoming star of City.
“I played against Sergio Agüero, which was obviously amazing. (Lionel) Messi, without a doubt the best player in the history of football, in my opinion. (Kylian) Mbappe is different, fast, “Van Dijk told FIVE in May.
“There’s another type of striker we have now, who is doing very well, in the name of Haaland, also Darwin (Núñez). He’s a bit similar, very direct and fast, tall and strong. It’s quite difficult to play. those guys “.
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Although last season he played in a weaker league than the Norwegian, Núñez beat Haaland. The striker has scored 34 goals in 41 games in all competitions with Benfica, with Haaland scoring 29 goals against Dortmund.
Given Van Dijk’s analysis of his talents, it looks like both City and Liverpool have a very similar type of striker. This desire to sign a Haaland-style player could be one of the motivations for the reds’ move for Núñez.
It will be fascinating to see how Klopp and Guardiola deploy their new stars, given their apparent similarities. No doubt Klopp will be hoping to get the best out of Núñez as he seeks to regain the title for Liverpool.
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