Many a commentator and neutral were all too willing to jump on the ‘Darwin Nunez is a flop’ train following the Uruguayan’s difficult start to life in the English top-flight.
Following an encouraging few words from Jurgen Klopp and Pep Lijnders and some hard yards on the training ground, it’s becoming increasingly clear that Liverpool’s £64m outlay on the 23-year-old in the summer window was more than justified.
If the eye test wasn’t enough for some, the underlying stats behind the striker’s rise should do the job of both explaining his recent impact on the pitch and giving supporters some idea of what to expect after the World Cup.
“The 23-year-old is top of the table across the Premier League when it comes to total shots per 90 minutes (5.79), shots inside the box (4.46) and shots on target (2.52),” the reporter wrote for The Athletic. “He makes things happen. He has the third highest xG per 90 (0.7) among players who have clocked up at least 400 minutes, behind Erling Haaland and Callum Wilson.”
The former Benfica man is set to enter the international stage after registering seven goals from his last 10 appearances with the Reds.
“He’s third in the top flight for chances created per 90 (1.93) behind only Mohamed Salah and Son Heung-min, and second behind Arsenal’s Gabriel Jesus for touches in the opposition box per 90 (9.35),” Pearce continued.
READ MORE: What Klopp & Lijnders told Nunez to help inspire phenomenal run of form
Should Nunez build on his strong end to the first-half of the term, we’d be far from surprised to see his stock rise even further in the English game in December.
One thing is for sure ahead of the World Cup: the ex-Penarol star is FAR from being a flop signing.
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