Liverpool and Manchester City have broken the bank and elected for a seeming change of style, by singing Darwin Nunez and Erling Haaland.
The days of a big man up top seemed long gone but these two transfers show that we may not be quite right with that assertion, despite the overwhelming technical improvement of the two men in question – when compared to a stereotypical ‘classic No.9’.
There’s no questioning that Pep Guardiola has managed to secure the signature of the man with a much greater pedigree within the game but that doesn’t mean that Jurgen Klopp has made a dud signing.
The proof of the pudding will be in the performances next season but for now, we can analyse statistics that have been provided on their respective performances in the last campaign.
Thanks to the good people at Squawka, it can be seen that when minutes, goals, assists, shots, chances created, take-ons completed and conversion rate per 90 minutes is compared for both men – the Norwegian forward is ahead in just one category.
In the 22-year-old Uruguayan, we may not have the man that many expected we would sign last summer but we certainly have a serious talent on our hands.
You can view the comparison of Nunez and Haaland’s stats via @Squawka on Twitter: