Many top sides across Europe are beginning their summer spending, and on the top of most wish lists, is a brand new attacker. With Haaland moving and Mbappe’s decision continuing to make headlines, another exciting young attacker is making waves in the transfer discussions, the Uruguayan Benfica starlet, Darwin Núñez. Averaging just shy of a goal per game, and some standout displays in the Champions League, he has attracted the eye of many potential suitors. Benfica won’t let their man go easy, and with his contract running until 2025, it’s likely any fee will exceed £60million for the young attacker.

With all that in mind, we have gone over decided to have a deeper look at the attacker, his previous clubs, his main stats from this year and prior, and then had a look at several clubs who have either been linked with, or will be linked to Núñez this summer.

If you have anything to add about Núñez, have witnessed his talent live in person or think you reckon you know where he will end up at the end of the summer, get in touch on Twitter (@NextGoalWinBlog) and tell us what you think.

Biography

Born in Artigas, Uruguay, 1999, Darwin Núñez joined the Peñarol youth setup in 2013 at only 14 years of age. He made a name for himself in the youth ranks, and on the 22nd of November 2017, he made his first team debut replacing Maxi Rodríguez as a substitute in a 2-1 loss to River Plate Montevideo. Just a month later he was out injured and requiring knee surgery which is something he had struggled with prior to making his first-team debut. His first professional goal came nearly a year later, in October 2018, and he went on to make 22 appearances and net 4 times for Peñarol between 2017 and 2019 before a move to Almería for around £4-6million in 2019 brought him to Europe.

His 1 year in the Spanish 2nd division with Almería showed his talent and despite moving a long way from home and still only 20 years old, he netted 16 goals in 32 appearances, and attracted the eye of Portuguese giants Benfica. They broke their club record transfer fee as they spent 24million Euros on Núñez in 2020, and also included a 20% sell on future transfer fee which may well benefit the Spanish side in the coming weeks. In his debut year, he managed 5 assists in his first 4 league games, and netted his first goals in a hattrick in the clubs’ Europa League group match against Lech Poznań. His debut campaign was plagued with injury, and with Covid having a long term impact on his fitness, along with several injuries picked up, he still managed to make an impressive 44 appearances but only found the net 14 times.

The current and latest season is where Darwin Núñez has truly begun setting the world alight. With another surgery on his knee keeping him out for the first few rounds of games for Benfica, he returned with a bang as he was named the Primera Liga’s player of the month for September. Late in September he netted twice and was man of the match for their drubbing of Barcelona in the Champions League group stage. With back to back hattricks in December, he was making his mark on the league and also in the cup, as he helped Benfica reach the final but was away on international duty when they lost to rivals Sporting. He continued his impressive form in 2022 and helped the side qualify from the Champions League group stages, get past Ajax in the knockout round and put up a fight against Liverpool despite the eventual aggregate loss. Darwin Núñez ended the campaign as the league’s top scorer with 26 league goals in 28 games, and has a total of 34 from 41 across all competitions.

2021/2022

The latest campaign for the breakthrough on the European stage for Darwin Núñez, as he built on an impressive first season at Benfica by more than doubling his goal tally from the previous year, netting a hugely impressive 34 from 41 appearances this year.

With 26 goals in 28 league appearances, he sits just below a goal per game average, which could contend with any striker in Europe this season, and matches the likes of Haaland and Mbappe. Obviously the context of the league comes into play, however then we move to the also hugely impressive Champions League statistics, wherein he netted 6 in 10 appearances, including standout performances which helped his side out of their Champions League group and contend with finalists Liverpool in the knockout rounds.

The top scorer in the Primera Liga, and only 22 years of age, Núñez has had his standout year as many fans around Europe have taken note of the performances, influence and impact he has had domestically and in Europe. Netting 2 in a comfortable win over Barcelona, 1 in the knockout win against Ajax and 2 across both legs of the Liverpool loss were surely the key moments to put himself in the shop window, and as both Benfica and Núñez himself seem keen on making a move happen, the talk turns to who will spend and take their chance on the young, exciting attacker.

Transfer Target

With everything we have discussed previously, it’s no wonder why the forward has placed high on many top sides’ shopping lists for the upcoming summer window. Most of Europe’s elite are searching for a fresh attacking addition, and with Haaland’s move confirmed, Mbappe’s future up in the air and possibly other big names being touted, Núñez will be a top prospect for many. But where will he end up?

Firstly, we need to look at Manchester United, as they have appeared front-runner in the discussions to this point. With the arrival of Erik ten Hag already making big plans for the coming weeks, the addition of a exciting attacking prospect like Núñez could well lay down a marker for the existing players. At 22 years of age, he ticks the youthful box for Ten Hag and United as they look long-term in their decision making, while his style of play through athleticism, speed, counter-attacking ability and movement could complement the likes of Sancho, Fernandes, Rashford and Elanga playing behind and out wide to feed Núñez in the centre.

Of course the move to United would have many questioning the role of Cristiano Ronaldo, however now aged 37, he simply cannot be expected to play every game next season, and if United enter the era of Erik with Ronaldo as their main striker, they will soon come unstuck with the reliance on an older striker leading the physically demanding system. Now, we know Ronaldo will manage to play at this level for probably another 3/4 years, however if he is planning on staying at United for the coming season, it will surely be with the understanding United will be looking for the future also. As a result, the possible dilemma of matching a young exciting prospect determined to play and impress, and the legendary superstar at the closing stages of his career, becomes a dream scenario for Erik ten Hag, who can link the two perfectly in the starting XI (playing Núñez out wide potentially), or spending next season rotating the two to keep both fresh and at the top of their game.

The real issue that has been discussed is Manchester United missing out on Champions League football, as Núñez has been allegedly put off the move because of the club missing out on the competition. That said, this is still Manchester United who may come calling, and not many players have ever turned down that offer, and with a project beginning at the club, he could develop with the club as they rebuild and be a superstar, iconic figure at the legendary club and play a pivotal role at the club. Even if that doesn’t quite encourage the Uruguayan, the financial package United could offer may just make things easier.

The second biggest rumour has been at Arsenal, who in a similar situation to Manchester United are rebuilding through youthful and exciting talent, being led by Arteta who is keen on a long-term project to get Arsenal back to the top of the table. Arsenal were an early club mentioned due to it appearing clear they will be recruiting a central striker this summer. With Aubameyang leaving last year and Lacazette likely on his way out this summer, Núñez could fit perfectly into the youthful line-up of Saka, Smith-Rowe and Ødegaard. Adding Núñez into this side would really bring them to the next stage of their project, and if they are to miss out on the top 4 this season, then they will suddenly be heavily-tipped for success next season.

Arsenal perhaps comes with more risk for Núñez, as they have struggled so much in recent years, and despite their obvious historical successes, they don’t possess the top mystique of Manchester United and several other clubs around Europe, and should they miss the top 4 spot on the final weekend, then again Núñez would be faced without top 4 football for the coming season, and no guarantee of that changing next campaign either. The finances of the Arsenal move are still unknown, as they have spent fairly big in recent windows, however the possible £60-70million transfer fee may well stretch Arteta’s budget to the max and put the deal into jeopardy.

For Arsenal, while the move would be a terrific piece of business, I am putting my personal feeling into them making moves for Gabriel Jesus instead this summer, or possibly Sweden’s Isak. These transfers would be less financially impactful, and allow them to stretch any summer spending across several areas rather than just one star signing. I also believe Jesus would be the preferred option as he is a proven Premier League top player who hasn’t been given the full opportunity. In addition, the arrival of Haaland at City means Pep may be willing to give his old protegee a cut-price deal.

The other clubs linked include Newcastle United, Manchester City and Barcelona. Of course each of these sides offer their own incentives, however it would be a case of looking at the clubs’ interest in the player, or the players’ interest in the club. Newcastle is a huge project with huge potential, but would require a specific type of player and mindset to take it on. To lead the club during their financial dominance could be a fascinating proposition, but with no guarantee, and no clear destination for the next 3-4 years, he may well be putting his prime years into the hope of Newcastle reaching the top in such a short span. Meanwhile, Manchester City would rule themselves out following the Haaland deal, as they surely cannot make any space for another striker in the side following this move, and if they were interested in a backup they will probably look to extend Gabriel Jesus’ time at the club for this. Finally, Barcelona could offer an interesting option, however financially, it’s near impossible to see how they can spend £60+million this summer considering they are needing to clear out first. If they could balance the books they may be interested, and with Depay apparently out of favour, they could do some financial trickery to get a deal done, if he fits Xavi’s plans.

Overall, I think if a move is to be made, Manchester United would be the likely destination. Although the move has been questioned in recent days/weeks with Champions League football being the sticking point for the player, the excitement of the rebuild project and being able to play a key role in this would appeal to a young player looking to become a superstar. Additionally, the Champions League football would likely be available in just a years time, whereas clubs like Arsenal may have less confidence in reaching this point as quickly. If Núñez is looking for instant Champions League football, he may struggle to find a top side interested as despite his incredible potential, many of the top Champions League sides have either acquired their striking talent or have eyes on other players. Finally, and this may well be one of the biggest factors in his decision, is being able to work alongside and be mentored by Cristiano Ronaldo and Erik ten Hag. Ronaldo of course is a huge selling point for any young attacker, while Ten Hag has a track record of developing young players into top players, and to combine this learning opportunity for a striker in his early 20s, could be a huge opportunity, and therefore the most likely outcome of any transfer saga for Darwin Núñez.