Everything you need to know about Uruguay hitman Darwin Nunez!
Darwin Nunez is a Uruguayan professional footballer who currently plays as a striker for the English Premier League club Liverpool and the Uruguay national team. He was born on June 24, 1999, in Artigas, Uruguay, and began his football career in the youth academy of his local team, Artigas.
Nunez joined Montevideo-based Uruguayan club Penarol in 2016, when he was 17. He made his professional debut with Penarol in 2018 and rapidly established himself as one of Uruguay's most promising young players.
In the summer of 2019, Nunez signed for the Spanish second-division outfit Almeria, where he had an impressive debut season, scoring 16 goals in 32 appearances across all competitions. He quickly became a fan favourite and played a key role in Almeria's promotion to La Liga.
His move to Almeria arrived at the same time he earned his first call-up to the Uruguayan senior team and he scored inside five minutes of his introduction as a substitute against Peru in October of 2019.
Nunez's exploits in front of goal in the Spanish second-tier caught the attention of Portuguese giants Benfica, who paid a reported €24m fee to secure his services, making him the most expensive signing in the history of the Portuguese league.
After making 85 appearances and netting 48 goals during his fruitful two-year stay at Benfica, he attracted the attention of Premier League heavyweights Liverpool, who beat competition from rivals Manchester United to secure his signature, paying a club-record £85m to prise him away from the Eagles.
He has had a sparkling start to his Liverpool career with a hat-trick in pre-season, followed by a match-winning goal on his competitive debut against Manchester City, but is still settling into life in Merseyside on and off the pitch and has had his share of struggles.
Nevertheless, he will be a huge asset for Liverpool, and is destined to shine brightly in the near future given his high ceiling and undoubted poaching instincts.
What are the 13 things you absolutely need to know about the Liverpool striker?
Humble beginnings
Things haven't always been rosy for Nunez, who is now one of the wealthiest person back in his homeland, as he sought success in Europe earlier in his career.
The forward's story is one of rags to riches, as he went from obscurity to fame. Nunez was born in one of the most underprivileged neighbourhoods of Uruguay, Artigas, and into a less than fortunate family as his mother was a bottle-hawker while his father was a construction worker.
His parents regularly struggled to put food on the table. And when they did, it often came with sacrifice, with Nunez once claiming that his mother who went to bed hungry at times to provide for him and his brother.
Apart from a lack of basic needs, the area where he lived was prone to flooding from the Cuareim river, costing the family significantly as they had to regularly invest in home repairs.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesThe Anfield audition
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has a reputation of signing players off the back of an impressive audition against his side. The likes of Sadio Mane, Takumi Minamino, and even Luis Diaz were all scooped up by the Reds after Klopp watched them live from the dugout.
Nunez was put through a similar test when Liverpool and Benfica locked horns in the Champions League quarter-final last season. While the Eagles lost the tie 6-4 on aggregate, the 23-year-old passed his audition with flying colours, hitting a goal in either leg.
He even slotted a hat-trick of goals past Alisson at Anfield, even if two were ultimately chalked off due to offside. The youngster certainly proved he knew how to find the back of net, and fast forward to the summer window, Nunez was unveiled as new Liverpool signing for a club-record £85m.
The German head coach later admitted that he "fell in love" with the striker last term. If you perform well against Klopp's Reds, you may well find yourself at Anfield sooner rather than later.
Was Linked to Brighton & Southampton
After only one season in Spain, the young forward had several admirers during the summer transfer window of 2021, especially from the Premier League. Both Brighton and Southampton were reportedly interested in signing the Uruguayan striker, with the latter even making a bid.
Meanwhile, there was also rumours of interest from European giants such as RB Leipzig and Napoli. However, Benfica ultimately won the race for his signature, securing his services for a club-record fee.
Getty/GOALA mix of Edinson Cavani & Luis Suarez?
Nunez is regarded one of the talented strikers in this upcoming generation. He has it all: speed, technique, acceleration, strength, perseverance, and of course, finishing.
Standing at 6'2' but with a burst of pace and defensive tenacity, the forward does share some physical resemblance to the legendary Urguay striker Edinson Cavani.
However, Leonardo Ramos, who coached Nunez at Penarol in Uruguay, believes he shares characteristics with both 'El Matador' and another famous La Celeste striker, Luis Suarez, and can be a hybrid of both.
Ramos told Stats Perform: "I think he has two parts, it's half-and-half.
"He has the power that Suarez had to go for everything, to go to the clash, to be a fighter with the rival. And he also has the part of Cavani, of being a much more athletic player, more physical, more intelligent.
"I think it's a union of those two things that are important."