In October 2018, Darwin Nunez (Artigas, Uruguay, June 1999) he scored his first goal as a professional with Peñarol in a Uruguayan league match. Almost four years later, the striker has scored against Liverpool at Anfield in a quarterfinal of the Champions League confirming its growth in this period of time. His goals have contributed to taking Benfica to an unthinkable goal at the beginning of the season and have confirmed that he is a striker for any club of the highest level.
At the press conference prior to the Anfield match, Jürgen Klopp praised the Uruguayan matador: “A very good looking boy, huh? In the first leg he had a great battle against Konaté. He is good, very good. If he stays healthy, he has a great career ahead of him.” Darwin Núñez responded to those words with a great performance at the German coach’s home. In addition to the goal, the Benfica striker won six duels, made 11 touches in the rival area and completed five dribbles. In the first leg he also scored for his team and has left half of Europe stunned.
Darwin Núñez has closed his first participation in the Champions League with six goals in 10 games. And he goes six goals. He made her a brace against Barça in a 3-0 win in the group stage, scored against Bayern at the Allianz Arena Y was the protagonist of Benfica’s pass to the quarterfinals with a decisive goal in the Ajax field. To all this we must add the two goals in the tie against Liverpool. The future is in his hands and he has shown it.
Spectacular figures and much more than goals
Although he is a striker who stands out for scoring, Darwin is a footballer with many resources in attack. He is a very mobile player with plenty of capacity to move around the entire front of attack, he is skillful, has good footwork despite his height and is lethal in the box from 1-2 touches. However, what makes him more different is his versatility and ability to occupy other positions. It is true that he loses much of his voracity, but during the stay of Tabarez in the Uruguayan national team, Núñez played several games as a left winger.
landed on the benfica in the summer of 2020 upon payment of €24M for his transfer to Almería, a club in which he scored 16 goals in 32 games. His first season in Portugal was not easy. He had stretches of irregularity and closed the campaign with 14 goals, only six of them were in the league. But, without a doubt, this season has been the one of its explosion. With overflowing confidence and despite the change of coach on Benfica’s bench, Darwin Núñez is showing spectacular figures: 32 goals and 3 assists in the 37 games he has played. He participates in goal or assist every 67 minutes.
RODRIGO ANTUNES (REUTERS)
Some numbers that, a priori, could be undervalued for having achieved them in the Portuguese league. Nothing could be further from the truth. The difficulty of the Portuguese championship is increasing and has shown the same level in the Champions League. His level of confidence is full and he is on a streak where I touch what he touches and he converts it into a goal. Seven goals and one assist in his last five gamesincluding a hat-trick against Belenenses, two goals against Liverpool and a goal and an assist against Sporting Braga.
Next summer he will be 23 years old and It will be a few months moved as far as your future is concerned. Some days ago, Record assured that the Uruguayan will change his agent and will be represented by Jorge Mendes. In addition, last Monday, David Ornstein revealed in The Athletic what Chelsea, Manchester United and PSG were very interested in getting his services. Benfica, according to the same information, would be open to a sale, but its starting price would be €70M. The three clubs are in complex situations, but they will surely bid for him in the summer. Europe already knows Darwin.