Liverpool now believe they have a player capable of scoring thirty goals in a season
Darwin Nunez, in the eyes of Liverpool, has all the makings of a striker capable of scoring thirty goals a year.
Nunez divided opinion when he moved from Benfica to Anfield in 2022. Everyone can agree on one thing, though: the 24-year-old has all the makings of a great player. Depending on who you talk to, he may or may not be required to tie everything together.
However, journalist Neil Jones claims that Liverpool will give you a very harsh response if you inquire about Nunez. Jones detailed the exact reasons the Reds purchased Darwin in the first place as well as what they currently anticipate from him in a piece that was published in the Daily Briefing today.
“Nunez has several qualities. He moves incredibly well in and around the penalty area, is strong, lightning fast, and adept in the air, the journalist said.
“I am aware that among the main factors motivating the Reds to acquire him from Benfica above other attacking players under consideration was his capacity to create space in the closing third and position himself for goals.
“They think he has the technical tools and the instinct to be a 30 goal a season striker.”
Nunez is backed by Liverpool to take off
It has been often stated that Nunez is merely a ticking time bomb ready to explode—in a good way—ever since he joined Liverpool.
Darwin has certainly stepped it up in 2023–24 after a riotous underseason in his rookie year.
The Uruguayan still has a chance to reach the 30-goal mark this season with seven goals already.
However, Nunez’s game still has a lot of serious shortcomings, as we witnessed on Sunday against Luton Town. Sometimes the only thing standing in his way of netting thirty or even forty goals in a season is himself.
Looking back at some of the opportunities Liverpool’s No. 9 has missed this season, he really ought to have three or four more goals by now.
The miss at Luton was possibly the worst, though the open goal at Anfield against Toulouse comes very close.
Additionally, against Aston Villa, there was a fairly simple headed opportunity that was missed in front of the Kop, and against Union Saint-Gilloise, there was another one that was missed from inside the six-yard box. As Dean Ashton stated this week, Nunez has occasionally been a laughingstock for opponents as a result of his misses.
That Darwin is finding himself in these situations frequently is, in fact, excellent news. If he continues in this manner and improves his finishing, he will undoubtedly win 30 every year. He needs to improve his finishing, though, or he won’t be able to fully justify Liverpool’s high transfer fee for him eighteen months ago.
