Liverpool fans eagerly await the 2022/23 season and the debut of their marquee summer signing Darwin Nunez. The Uruguayan ace joined the Reds just under a month ago, with the Merseyside giants paying a whopping £85M, which translates to $105M, to land the former Benfica sensation.
The Premier League heavyweights beat out the likes of Manchester United and Newcastle to the South American's signature. The attacker scored 26 goals in 28 Primeira Liga appearances and 34 goals in 41 outings across all competitions, hence the excitement around his arrival.
But what exactly about Darwin Nunez convinced Jurgen Klopp, a manager known for his distaste for exuberant spending, go all out for the Uruguayan ace?
The German boss, who is currently in Bangkok with the entire team for their pre-season tour of Asia, opened up about the new Anfield signing and the attributes that caught his attention the most. Speaking to the club's official website, the manager revealed that his combination of power, technique, and brilliant movement that he exhibited when Liverpool faced Benfica in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals is what made him "fall in love" with Nunez.
"When you prepare Benfica, you know up to the size of shoes – we know absolutely everything about an opponent, so we know exactly about the quality of Darwin," Jurgen said.
"It was not clear if he would play because he came back from internationals, in the first game that was. It was clear that he was really good. But when you see it then live, it was really impressive.
"The power and the mix-up with technique, the desire, smart moves, the problems he caused us. We fell all in love in these two games. A very aggressive South American, it's a good thing!
"It was really a joy to watch him and so when we realized we had a good chance to sign him, we were all-in and we're really happy he's here now."
Additionally, while Klopp did not mention the player's pace, Darwin is surprisingly quick for a man of his stature. All of this points to one thing: the 23-year-old should settle well at Anfield!
Nunez, who made the trip to Thailand, will be asked to fill the large void left by Sadio Mane's departure. Additionally, many comparisons will be drawn with the last Uruguayan talent to don the Liverpool jersey and that is the iconic no.9 Luis Suarez. With Erling Haaland having joined Manchester City, the former Benfica sensation will also be in direct competition with the Norwegian superstar for the crown of the best young striker in the Premier League.
