Robbie Fowler explains why "raw" Darwin Nunez is an £85m "gamble" for Liverpool

Liverpool's £85million gamble on Darwin Nunez is a brave step that could provide the missing ingredient in their quest for the biggest honours.

That is the view of legendary Anfield striker Robbie Fowler, who knows a thing or two about goalscorers and views Nunez as possessing the potential to become a world-class finisher.

The former Reds hero believes that for all the goals Jurgen Klopp’s side have plundered under the German in the past six years, he has missed an out-and-out hitman who can make the difference in the biggest games. That was evident in the three finals Liverpool reached in the past season - where they had an incredible, and record-breaking, 76 shots on goal, but failed to find the net once.

In a game they should have won easily, they had the most shots in the history of the Champions League final, and Real Madrid 'keeper Thibaut Courtois made a record number of saves. And Fowler believes Nunez, as a more natural centre forward, is gifted with the qualities to provide the finish that has been lacking in the biggest games with a view to delivering even more trophies.

Writing in his Mirror column, he said: “To me, it seems like a sensible plan to replace Sadio Mane with him. Of course, it’s a gamble, because any striker coming into the Premier League is a gamble. You only have to look at Timo Werner going to Chelsea, as a goalscorer with an incredible record in Germany, but failing to hit the game number. Hell, even Romelu Lukaku was a gamble for Chelsea, and he’d spent half his life in the Premier League.

“But what I will say about Nunez is he’s scored goals in big games, scored in the Champions League, scored against Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Liverpool, the best teams and the best defences.