Benfica striker Darwin Nunez has established himself as one of the most prolific goal scorers in European football this season after a remarkable campaign in which he has scored 31 goals in 36 games in all competitions, including 24 goals in 24 Primeira Liga appearances.
And that goalscoring form has put some of the world’s biggest clubs on red alert, including Arsenal and Manchester United, with plenty of suitors set to table their bids for the 22-year-old this summer ahead of a big money move.
Here is all you need to know about the Uruguay international following heavy links with a number of Premier League clubs, as he becomes one of the most talked about strikers in Europe.
Who is Darwin Nunez?
Nunez has established himself among Europe’s elite this season after a remarkable second campaign for Benfica since joining the club in 2020. But the 22-year-old was largely unheard of prior to this campaign, having started out in his homeland with Penarol between 2017-2019.
After just four goals in 22 appearances for the Uruguayan club, Nunez sealed a move to Spanish second division side Almeria and hit the ground running with 16 goals in 30 league appearances during 2019-20, prompting Benfica to sign him after just one season in Spain for a club-record fee of €24 million.
Nunez struggled in his first season in the Primeira Liga, scoring just six goals in 29 appearances, although he registered a further eight in cup competitions to take his total to 14 for the season. But as of the current campaign, he has already bagged 31 goals, while he has also become an established member of the national team.
Where will Darwin Nunez end up this summer? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
Style of play
At just 22-years-old, Nunez has been tearing up the Portuguese top flight and has registered three hat-tricks this season, while he scored a double in the 3-0 victory over Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League group stage - with his speed and acceleration proving to be one of his deadliest assets.
Whilst playing primarily as a striker, Nunez can also operate on the left wing if necessary, and is capable of dropping deep to help win back possession and build up attacks. He has been praised for his movement off the ball too, and uses his explosive pace to find pockets of space.
The Uruguay international is also credited as a great long-range striker of the ball, yet his ability to find space in the 12-yard box must also not go unnoticed.
Chances of a Premier League move
Nunez has been heavily linked with moves to a number of top clubs in Europe this season already, and although Newcastle were linked with a move for him in the January transfer window, it looks as though Arsenal and Man Utd are more likely destinations this summer.
But after buying him for €24m two years ago, Benfica are likely to at least quadruple his price tag should clubs want to buy him this summer, and it is expected that he could leave for a similar fee to the €126m (£113 million) that Joao Felix left the club for in 2019.
Arsenal and Man Utd are two very attractive options for the 22-year-old, yet if both clubs fail to guarantee Champions League football for next season, which is looking increasingly likely, then they will struggle to sign a player who should be playing at the highest level at this stage of his career.
What's been said
Benfica will obviously want to keep hold of their star striker but current manager Nelson Verissimo believes the club should command a similar fee to what they received for former player Joao Felix. He said: "What do you think? Darwin is an excellent player, he has shown all his quality. He has helped the team a lot, it is true that the team has also helped him a lot.
"He is a young player, with a lot of potential, it is natural that given what has been his growth throughout this season and also a lot as an outcome of the performance he has had in the Champions League games, it is natural that he arouses the interest of the big European clubs.
“It will be at the end of this season or the following season, depending on what it has shown, it is natural that it will arouse interest from other clubs and naturally there may be the timing in which it goes. Now regarding numbers, I hope as a Benfica fan that he will leave for numbers close to those that were João Félix's numbers (a record €126million fee)."
