Comparing Darwin Nunez’s 2021-22 stats to Liverpool’s current forwards

Having seen the success of Luis Diaz following his January move from Porto, Liverpool are prepared to dip into the Portuguese market once more to secure the 22-year-old Uruguay international.

The dynamic striker caught the eye last season, scoring 26 league goals and notching strikes in Champions League matches against Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Ajax as Benfica went all the way to the quarter-finals.

“Really good, really good,” said Klopp when asked to assess the 22-year-old after he scored at Anfield.

“I knew it before but he played pretty much in front of me. Physically strong and quick, he was calm with his finish. Really good. If he stays healthy, it’s a big career ahead of him.”

With Manchester United ready to admit defeat in their own pursuit of Nunez and focus on other targets, Liverpool seem to be in pole position to secure his signature. But would he be an upgrade on the Reds’ already formidable striking talent?

We’ve compared Nunez’s 2021-22 Primera Liga stats with Benfica with the corresponding Premier League numbers of Liverpool’s current forwards.

Note: We’ve excluded players who played less than 250 league minutes – which includes Takumi Minamino and Harvey Elliott – along with Divok Origi, who has left the club.

Goals

Sadio Mane – 16

Diogo Jota – 15

Roberto Firmino – 5

Luis Diaz – 4

Assists

Roberto Firmino – 4

Diogo Jota – 4

Darwin Nunez – 4

Luis Diaz – 3

Sadio Mane – 2

Minutes per goal

Darwin Nunez – 76.5

Mohamed Salah – 120.1

Diogo Jota – 158.2

Sadio Mane – 176.6

Roberto Firmino – 197.4

Luis Diaz – 241

Minutes per goal or assist

Mohamed Salah – 106.3

Roberto Firmino – 109.6

Diogo Jota – 124.9

Luis Diaz – 137.7

Sadio Mane – 156.9

READ: Sadio Mane, beware: 9 players that