ProfileDarwin Nunez's career journey to Liverpool
Liverpool's attacking options in 2022-23 will be bolstered by the hugely exciting talent that is Darwin Nunez.
The Uruguayan forward has completed a switch to Jürgen Klopp's Reds on a long-term contract, subject to the successful granting of a work permit and international clearance.
He arrives at Anfield following a two-season stay at Benfica, during which he consistently displayed his threat in front of goal.
The 22-year-old's rise in the professional game began with Uruguay's Club Atletico Penarol, progressing through their youth ranks to reach the first team.
His senior debut came in November 2017 when he replaced former Red Maxi Rodriguez away at River Plate Montevideo.
He made 22 competitive appearances in total for Penarol, before earning a move to Spanish outfit UD Almeria and, not long after, a call-up to the Uruguay national team.
Nunez marked his senior international debut with a goal, netting just five minutes after coming on as a second-half substitute in a friendly with Peru in October 2019.
He continued to make encouraging strides during the 2019-20 campaign once he found his feet with second-tier side Almeria, finishing his first and only season in Andalusia with 16 goals from 32 outings, before Benfica came calling.
Determined to show what he was about early on, Nunez's first goals for the Portuguese giants came by the treble as he scored a hat-trick away at Lech Poznan in the Europa League.
He had the second-most assists (10) in the Primeira Liga that year and bagged 14 goals in all competitions, providing the platform for the leap in development that would follow.
His 2021-22 haul of 34 goals – two of which came against Liverpool – is made even more impressive when accounting for the injury that ruled him out for most of August.
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Twenty-six of that tally came in the Primeira Liga and duly saw him awarded the Bola de Prata as the division's top scorer.
Nunez would garner a taste of the Champions League proper for the first time in the season, too. He opened his account in the competition against Barcelona, with the Man of the Match scoring twice in a 3-0 victory.
When Benfica were paired with Liverpool in the quarter-finals, Nunez caught the eye with a goal in both legs of the eventual 6-4 aggregate defeat for his side.
"Extremely good-looking boy and a decent player as well!" Klopp said of the forward around those ties. "Really good, really good, I have to say. Obviously how you say in these situations, if he stays healthy, it's a big career ahead of him."
The right-footed marksman, who can play centrally or out on the flanks, will now look to fulfil Klopp's high hopes under his guidance on Merseyside.
This article has been automatically translated and, while all reasonable efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, some errors in translation are possible. Please refer to the original English-language version of the article for the official version.