Darwin Nunez: Things to Know About the Emerging Uruguayan Striker

Darwin Nunez may have only just joined Benfica, but the 21-year-old's lightening start to the season has already sparked interest from some of Europe's elite.

Last summer, Benfica snapped up the imposing striker's signature after reportedly fighting off interest from a flurry of sides in the English and French top flight. Yet, after a glut of goals and assists in his opening weeks with the Eagles, Barcelona are already eyeing him up as a replacement for his compatriot Luis Suarez.

Here's a few things to know about the player tipped for the top.

1. He Was Linked With Brighton & Southampton

After a single season In Spain, the young forward had plenty of suitors this summer before making the move to Lisbon.

Both Brighton and Southampton were eventually outbid for Nunez, who chose Benfica over the Premier League.

Meanwhile, there was also interest from European heavyweights such as RB Leipzig and Napoli.

2. He'll Be Expensive for His Next Club

Nunez's exploits in the Spanish second tier were not enough to earn Almeria promotion last season, but they did garner a record-breaking fee for the 21-year-old.

As well as becoming the largest sale in the history of the Segunda Division, Nunez's €24m fee saw him become the most expensive purchase in Benfica's history - ahead of €22m Raul Jimenez.

However, the club's manager Jorge Jesus has predicted an even more lucrative future for the forward.

"He was Benfica's most expensive purchase, and when there is no pandemic, he will be the most expensive sale," he predicted, as quoted by Goal.

Although, Jesus added the pessimistic afterthought: "Unfortunately for me, maybe I will lose him in a short time."

3. Not Shot Shy

Given the sheer quantity and quality of efforts Nunez unleashed, the 21-year-old could perhaps have even bettered his 16 league goal haul from his first campaign in Europe last season.

Nunez was one of only five players in the Spanish second tier to average as many as three shots per game and has continued this hair-trigger shooting in his early days at Benfica. Only two players have taken more shots in Portugal's Primeira Liga in 2020/21.

4. National Team Pedigree

As the top two scorers in Uruguay's history both approach the end of their international careers, Nunez is one of the up and coming generation burdened with the load these legends are set to leave behind.

Admittedly, Nunez didn't exactly slow this hype train down when he scored on his debut for the senior national team, rescuing a draw late on against Peru just five minutes after coming off the bench.

Nunez also enjoyed a distinguished spell with Uruguay's youth team, netting a memorable strike in the 2019 Under-20 World Cup to defeat Erling Haaland's Norway.

5. Edinson Cavani Comparisons

Barcelona may have set their sights on Nunez as a replacement for Suarez, but it is a compatriot of the pair with whom the youngster has been compared.

Standing at 6'2 but with a burst of pace, Nunez does bear some physical resemblance to the legendary Urguayan striker Edinson Cavani.

Walter Gargano came through Danubio's ranks with Cavani and shared two years with 'El Matador' at Napoli before watching Nunez break into Penarol's first team.

Any comparisons to players as established and revered as Cavani are rarely anything other than a hindrance, but 'El Mota' couldn't help himself, telling Ovacion: "He reminds me of Cavani from his beginnings, and even with better physique than then."

6. History of Injuries

At 21 years of age, Nunez's career has barely begun. But it was almost over before his professional debut.

Nunez was forced to have surgery on his cruciate ligament aged just 17 in February 2017, delaying his top flight bow until November that year. Yet, Nunez would have to wait more than six months before his next first team outing after undergoing surgery on the kneecap of the same knee.

In July 2019, Nunez revealed to the Uruguayan publication Futbol: "At times I wanted to stop playing, but my family and my teammates were always there and they helped me to move forward to continue. I proposed that to myself and today I am stronger than ever."

Since leaving Penarol for Almeria in the summer of 2019, Nunez has only missed a smattering of games with minor knocks, but suffering a cruciate ligament injury so young may perhaps provide future clubs with cause for concern.

7. Family Man

As Nunez said an emotional goodbye to the fans of Penarol - 'the club of my life' - at Carrasco Airport, he put in an excellent bid for son of the year.

Having secured a £6.3m move to Almeria, Nunez declared: "With this move I will be able to buy my parents' house in Artigas. My parents sacrificed themselves for me, my mother collected bottles in the street and my father worked all day in construction."

What the parents are in for after his summer move to Benfica, or the nine-digit transfer supposedly in his imminent future, remains to be seen.