'Obvious one': Former Liverpool chief says why Jurgen Klopp signed Darwin Nunez instead of Erling Haaland
09/12/2024 12:30 PM
Liverpool broke the bank to sign Darwin Nunez from Benfica in 2022, with the attacker enduring a tricky time at Anfield since then.
Nunez joined Liverpool for €75million (£64million) while Jurgen Klopp was in charge, with that initial figure rising to £85million after add-ons.
The Uruguay international has netted 33 times since making the move to Liverpool, having made 98 appearances so far.
Nunez could start against Nottingham Forest in his club's next match, but thus far he has struggled for minutes under Arne Slot.
The Dutchman has handed the forward just 32 minutes from the opening three matches of the new Premier League season.
Why Liverpool signed Darwin Nunez instead of Erling Haaland
It comes in stark contrast to fellow attacker Erling Haaland, who agreed to join Manchester City just one day before Nunez agreed a deal with the Reds.
Liverpool's former director of research Ian Graham has now shed light on the situation involving the pair, with Nunez having been the last signing he worked on before leaving Anfield.
"Darwin looked like one of the best young strikers in Europe," Graham told Sky Sports. "Haaland was the obvious one, but he was out of Liverpool’s financial range. The transfer fee is not that big a component of the total spend on Haaland. So, Haaland was out of the equation.
READ MORE: Everything to know on Liverpool's Darwin Nunez from his wife to net worth
"Darwin was a centre-forward who did centre-forward things. So the question was, [Roberto] Firmino’s getting older and we are going to have to replace him eventually. Would the coach be comfortable with the slight change of style that Darwin is going to bring?
"I can only see it from the outside now, so I don’t have any special insight into it, but the interesting thing is that with the amount of shots Darwin takes, you would expect him to be taking some from Mo [Salah], but he doesn’t seem to be taking that many shots from Mo."
Man City hold bragging rights over Liverpool with Erling Haaland
The Uruguayan nor the Norwegian certainly didn't come cheap, with Haaland joining Man City for £51million, rising to £85.5million after add-ons.
There has, however, only been one winner in that transfer saga, with Man City definitely holding the bragging rights over their Premier League rivals.
Haaland already has seven goals from his three league matches this season, taking his Man City tally to 97 goals from 102 games.
READ MORE:All of Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool signings ranked
It is a truly astonishing figure, with the Norwegian already outshining some of the best strikers to ever grace English football.
But Liverpool fans won't give up on Nunez, who needs to replicate his international form at club level, having scored 13 goals in 29 Uruguay matches.
