12 goals and assists in 15 games - why Darwin Núñez is finally playing like a €80m forward

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Liverpool have perhaps surprised even their own fans through the manner in which Jürgen Klopp’s team have started the new Premier League season so well. After 11 games, the Anfield club have lost just one game and collected no less than 24 points. Not only does that put the club four points ahead of where they were last season, but it also means they’re just three points off top spot in the English top-flight. 

Market Value

D. Núñez Centre-Forward

€70.00m

While there are certainly a number of factors behind Liverpool’s return to form, one notable improvement on last year’s struggles has been the fantastic form of striker Darwin Núñez. To date, the Uruguay international has bagged no less than seven goals and five assists in all competitions and is not only doing far better than he did last time around but also making a big difference to how Liverpool score goals and win games. 

Darwin Núñez’s tricky start to life in Liverpool

There’s little doubt that Núñez’s €80 million move from Benfica last season unquestionably brought with it a high bar of expectation that the 23-year-old striker struggled to live up to. Signed as Liverpool’s second most expensive signing ever, the Uruguay forward was not only tasked with becoming the club’s new talisman, but was also unfortunately pitted against another towering target man that had just joined the Premier League in Manchester City signing Erling Haaland. 

Needless to say, Núñez’s nine goals in 29 league matches across the season was not only poor by Liverpool’s own standards, but looked well off the pace in comparison to the 36 goals Haaland bagged for Man City that season. As such, despite seeing his market value rise to €70m following his big-money move to the club, the striker then saw it drop back down to €65m in June of this year, after a campaign that can confidently be labelled a transition period for Núñez and his new side. 

How good has Darwin Núñez been for Liverpool this season?

Fortunately for Liverpool fans, Núñez has seemingly benefited from a full pre-season with Klopp’s team and has looked far sharper this time around. So far this season the striker has bagged seven goals and five assists in 15 appearances, which works out at an impressive 1.23 non-penalty goals or assists per 90 minutes. Not only is that more than twice his goal contributions last season for Liverpool, but it’s also edging closer to his career-best record of 1.55 per 90, which he averaged in his final season at Benfica. 

What’s even more encouraging for the Anfield faithful is that Núñez has seemingly done this by finally forming a fantastic partnership with Mohamed Salah. While the Egyptian forward has only assisted one of Núñez’s goals this season, the Uruguay international has turned playmaker this time around and set up no less than four of Salah’s seven non-penalty goals. So far this season, no other offensive duo have set up more goals for each other than the Liverpool pair. So while Núñez may not be leading the goalscoring charts in the Premier League just yet, he has proved to be a vital cog in Liverpool’s attacking machine this season. And one of the main reasons they’re sitting near the top of the league table.