Liverpool sent exciting Luis Suarez message after…

Liverpool sent exciting Luis Suarez message after Darwin Nunez transfer deal

Former Liverpool midfielder Stewart Downing has likened Darwin Nunez to Luis Suarez and told how the forward should aim to emulate Mohamed Salah at the start of his Anfield career.

Nunez signed a six-year contract with the Reds last month after completing his transfer from Benfica, subject to international clearance and the granting of a work permit.

The Reds will pay a set fee of £64.1million (€75m) with a possible £21.3m (€25m) in add-ons depending on individual success, ranging from reaching appearance landmarks, scoring goals to winning the Champions League.

With Sadio Mane having moved on to Bayern Munich, the signing sees Jurgen Klopp continue the evolution of his forward line, with a player who was coveted by some of the continent's biggest clubs despite having just completed only his second top-flight season in Europe.

Fellow Uruguayan, and Anfield favourite, Luis Suarez has been banging the drum for the youngster since he first joined Spanish second-tier side Almeria three years ago, and Downing believes the forward is very similar to his former Reds team-mate.

“I think watching him, the fans will love him. He has that South America style about him,” he exclusively told the ECHO.

“He’s a bit like a Suarez type of player and with the crosses coming in from both sides he is going to thrive on that and the service he is going to get.

“I just see him fitting in really well and Jurge Klopp very rarely buys players that don’t fit into the way he wants to play. I just think he will be a great signing and he is a lot different to Mane. But you need different ways of playing and different dimensions.

“I think he will be a fans’ favourite, just the way he plays, 100% the fans will love that and it will be nice if he gets a couple of goals early on, especially at Anfield to get his confidence up.

“That’s what happened with Salah and Mane, they got off to good starts and their careers took off and you hope he does well. He looks like a fantastic player from what I have seen.”

Downing was speaking to the ECHO to preview the return of Masters Football. After an 11-year break, the all-star competition will be back on our screens for a one-off tournament on Friday, July 8.

The one-day event that will see legends from Manchester Utd, Liverpool, Celtic, and Rangers take to the iconic blue turf at Braehead Arena in Glasgow. The six-a-side games will be eight minutes each way, with rolling subs, sin bins, and squads of eight players, with each player needing to be 35 or over.

As well as Downing, Sander Westerveld, Stephen Warnock, Jamie Carragher, David Thompson, Steve McManaman, Jermaine Pennant and Luis Garcia will all represent the Reds.

“I’m looking forward to it, to be fair, it gives you something to look forward to and keep fit for,” Downing told the ECHO ahead of the tournament.

“But you want to win as well. Looking at Celtic the likes of Carlton Cole and Stiliyan Petrov, I’ve played with both of them, so there is no way I’m going to let them beat us. When you get there you want to win!”

Before he added: “There is a bit of banter before but once the game starts it is all focused on football and we still think we are professionals and we have to do it right. But that is the way it should be.

"We don’t lose that competitive edge. Like I say it will be nice to old faces, however once that game starts, you see the rivalry, Celtic vs Rangers, Liverpool vs Manchester United, I’m sure there will be a few tackles flying in. Carra will get us started and then we will be off.”

Former Liverpool midfielder Stewart Downing was speaking to the Liverpool ECHO ahead of the 360 Sports TV Masters Cup, taking place on the 8 ^th July, available to stream on 360 Sports TV.

READ NEXT

Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.

Already a member? Sign in here