Liverpool are reported to have made an £85million offer for Benfica striker Darwin Nunez – but how does his 2021-22 stats compare with the forward options already at Jurgen Klopp’s disposal?
Having seen the success of Luis Diaz following his January move from Porto, Liverpool are prepared to dip into the Portuguese market once more to secure the 22-year-old Uruguay international.
The dynamic striker caught the eye last season, scoring 26 league goals and notching strikes in Champions League matches against Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Ajax as Benfica went all the way to the quarter-finals.
“Really good, really good,” said Klopp when asked to assess the 22-year-old after he scored at Anfield.
“I knew it before but he played pretty much in front of me. Physically strong and quick, he was calm with his finish. Really good. If he stays healthy, it’s a big career ahead of him.”
With Manchester United ready to admit defeat in their own pursuit of Nunez and focus on other targets, Liverpool seem to be in pole position to secure his signature. But would he be an upgrade on the Reds’ already formidable striking talent?
We’ve compared Nunez’s 2021-22 Primera Liga stats with Benfica with the corresponding Premier League numbers of Liverpool’s current forwards.
Note: We’ve excluded players who played less than 250 league minutes – which includes Takumi Minamino and Harvey Elliott – along with Divok Origi, who has left the club.
Goals
Darwin Nunez – 26
Mohamed Salah – 23
Sadio Mane – 16
Diogo Jota – 15
Roberto Firmino – 5
Luis Diaz – 4
Assists
Mohamed Salah – 13
Roberto Firmino – 4
Diogo Jota – 4
Darwin Nunez – 4
Luis Diaz – 3
Sadio Mane – 2
Minutes per goal
Darwin Nunez – 76.5
Mohamed Salah – 120.1
Diogo Jota – 158.2
Sadio Mane – 176.6
Roberto Firmino – 197.4
Luis Diaz – 241
Minutes per goal or assist
Darwin Nunez – 66.3
Mohamed Salah – 106.3
Roberto Firmino – 109.6
Diogo Jota – 124.9
Luis Diaz – 137.7
Sadio Mane – 156.9
READ: Sadio Mane, beware: 9 players that flopped after leaving Jurgen Klopp
Chances created per 90 minutes
Mohamed Salah – 1.8
Luis Diaz – 1.5
Darwin Nunez – 1.4
Diogo Jota – 1.1
Sadio Mane – 1.2
Roberto Firmino – 0.8
Successful dribbles per 90 mins (success rate)
Luis Diaz – 2.9 (63.0%)
Darwin Nunez – 1.8 (50%)
Mohamed Salah – 1.7 (42.5%)
Roberto Firmino – 1.6 (51.6%)
Sadio Mane – 1.5 (60%)
Diogo Jota – 1.0 (38.4%)
Passes per 90 mins (passing accuracy)
Roberto Firmino…
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