Darwin Nunez could supplant Virgil van Dijk as Liverpool’s record signing, if certain add-ons are triggered. He has already outdone him in one respect. It took the Dutchman 84 minutes to score on his Liverpool bow. Even including injury time, the Uruguayan only needed 37. As those debut goals came against Everton and Manchester City respectively, they seem particularly auspicious.
And if Van Dijk was never going to be judged on his goal return, he is proof that price tags tend to be mentioned far more before a signing has proved a success. He is described as the £75m man less frequently these days.
Nunez cost £64m, which could rise to £85m. Van Dijk has made a career out of looking unflustered. He had the temperament to cope with the added attention. Nunez may be under a little less pressure after his startling impact in the Community Shield. “To score that goal was important, but for him it’s the same as it was for me; the transfer fee is not something you should think about,” said the defender. “I don’t think he does.”
