Darwin Nunez to Liverpool: What are his strengths and weaknesses?
Robin Bairner
- Updated: 13 Jun 2022 15:53 BST
- 3 min read
Darwin Nunez has completed a €100 million transfer from Benfica to Liverpool.
Benfica announced early on Monday that Liverpool will pay €75m initially and €25m in add-ons.
So what can Liverpool fans expect of Nunez? Where will he be able to excel and what are the areas of his game that Jurgen Klopp will need to refine or work around?
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Darwin Nunez’s strengths
Nunez scored 34 goals in 41 appearances last season, so it should come as little surprise to learn that he was the best performing finisher in Portugal last season, according to data gathered by analytics experts SCISports.
He excelled in most domains when it came to putting the ball in the net, but most especially from close range. While he performed in an above-average manner in all domains, his weakest finishing quality was headers from set pieces.
Allied to this, he was expert in taking up good offensive positions, particularly in the box, while he rated well in terms of his dribbling.
On the defensive side of the game, he pressed well and had a strong record when it came to supressing passing – something that has doubtless caught the eye of Liverpool.
Darwin Nunez’s weaknesses
One glaring weakness in his play is his hold-up play. His ball retention was very poor and he posted a particular weakness in terms of giving away risky possession in the opposing half. His passing and crossing were also weak, so don’t expect him to be a striker who will create much for his colleagues.
Furthermore, both the volume and quality of Nunez’s counterpressing were poor last season, which is something that Klopp will doubtless seek to address when his transfer to Liverpool is finally made official.
