What a difference 10 months make. Last August the talk around him was £25m to Brighton, now its £70m to Liverpool, Bayern, Chelsea, or us!
Darwin Núñez / signs for Liverpool
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Bingo.
it's not like he's a lucky player, he earns his goals through work rate, good positioning and tidy finishing.
I'm really surprised (but not actually it's redcafelol) that people don't rate him. This nonsense about him not being able to control the ball or hold it up has been parrotted so far that people actually believe it.
You've got the likes of Raul Jiminez who is a similar style of player that came from Benfica and took to the league like a duck to water. Nunez scored more than Jiminez ever managed.
You then look at his CL record and he did great this year. He's scored against Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Ajax and Liverpool. He had a MOTM display at Anfield against VVD and Konate ffs. Yet people think he'll struggle against worse opposition?
That ball retention ability gives me flashbacks to seeing the ball bouncing off Lukaku like a lamppost coated in flubber multiple times a game. Can massively do without seeing any more of that in a United striker, thanks.
Was watching a video last night and the guy just looks like a goalscorer. Just look at all the different types of goals he scored last season. If we provide chances the man looks as if he knows where the goal is. Actually watching some YouTube highlights I get a Fernando Torres vibe off him more so than a Ruud.
Fast, powerful, industrious and looks like he knows how to score goals. Playing with your back to goal is old school football anyway and not something we really want to be seeing at OT anyway but yet an easy skill to learn and with his physique don’t see it being an issue protecting the ball.
First touch is a weird thing, becuase you never know what people class as having a poor touch. Seen Messi, Silva, Modric, KDB and that control a ball and have it get a yard or two away from them or bounce up in the air so by poor touch are we expecting it to stop dead or be manipulated in to a direction without moving a cm from contact with the player. All whilst being pushed or barged by some defender at the same time?
The guy looks like someone who is going to want the ball infront of him for him to use his movement and athletic ability to get goals. Something Sancho is capable of providing like he did with Haaland. Get the team fixed and up to speed and the guy looks like he can score goals.
Its a risk but all transfers are I’d rather have an Aguero or something like that but the guy looks like he has something worth exploring. And whilst he might not look the dead cert of a Haaland or Mbappe who else really gives the impression those two did in a very short time.
Fast, powerful, industrious and looks like he knows how to score goals. Playing with your back to goal is old school football anyway and not something we really want to be seeing at OT anyway but yet an easy skill to learn and with his physique don’t see it being an issue protecting the ball.
First touch is a weird thing, becuase you never know what people class as having a poor touch. Seen Messi, Silva, Modric, KDB and that control a ball and have it get a yard or two away from them or bounce up in the air so by poor touch are we expecting it to stop dead or be manipulated in to a direction without moving a cm from contact with the player. All whilst being pushed or barged by some defender at the same time?
The guy looks like someone who is going to want the ball infront of him for him to use his movement and athletic ability to get goals. Something Sancho is capable of providing like he did with Haaland. Get the team fixed and up to speed and the guy looks like he can score goals.
Its a risk but all transfers are I’d rather have an Aguero or something like that but the guy looks like he has something worth exploring. And whilst he might not look the dead cert of a Haaland or Mbappe who else really gives the impression those two did in a very short time.
This is data purely for the CL this year btw.
Considering they played most of their games counter attacking against the likes or Bayern, Ajax and Liverpool it's not that strange to see. It's totally misleading.
Look how manipulated those stats are though. Taken over 10 games, these could be hand picked to suit a narrative. Also, there’s the asterisk of ‘adjusted to premier league standard’. What does that mean per say?
Not claiming to have watched all his games, but a fair amount. I would rather trust my mk1 eyeball than trust these types of graphics. He’s looked raw when I’ve seen him, but nothing in his link up play I’ve seen is as bad as that graphic is trying to portray.
My Liverpool supporting friend said the exact same thing about Nunez giving him Torres vibes. Said he had never seen a striker dominate VVD in the box not by brute strength but my sheer wit and workrate.
I really do not see the need for this guy if Ronaldo intends to stay at the club next season especially at the amount Benfica wants. There is no denying he is indeed a talented striker and might turn out to be one of the best strikers in the world in the future but still I think on priority basis a left footed RW who is comfortable on the ball is needed more for the team than a starting striker.
If the club has the funds to purchase both after addressing the midfield and fullback issues and Ten Hag can manage to satisfy both Ronaldo and Nunez without issues then he would be a very good buy. But people making a mistake of believing Ronaldo would be content with sitting on the bench for a new starting striker are very mistaken and I think should we go that route, it might be a source of potential issue in the dressing room. A striker purchase is needed purely for cover should Martial leave but it should be one that comes at a low cost.
If the club has the funds to purchase both after addressing the midfield and fullback issues and Ten Hag can manage to satisfy both Ronaldo and Nunez without issues then he would be a very good buy. But people making a mistake of believing Ronaldo would be content with sitting on the bench for a new starting striker are very mistaken and I think should we go that route, it might be a source of potential issue in the dressing room. A striker purchase is needed purely for cover should Martial leave but it should be one that comes at a low cost.
I thought he was a Rangnick target
If Guardiola thinks he can apply Haaland effectively in his possession based set-up then surely Ten Hag can use Nuñez in his.
As long as Ten Hag signs off on the signing, which seems to be the agreement, then we should be able to trust in the guy who managed to turn Sebastien Haller into a CL top scorer?
As long as Ten Hag signs off on the signing, which seems to be the agreement, then we should be able to trust in the guy who managed to turn Sebastien Haller into a CL top scorer?
Ronaldo stays 1 year, then what? back to square 1 looking for somebody suitable.
That is ridiculous planning. Nunez is 22, give him 1 year to settle in then be ready next year.
It is not if you take into context the other needs of the team and the available funds. Getting a cheapish yet talented striker to back up Ronaldo for the coming season and then going all out for a starting striker next summer is also good planning. It doesn't make sense only if you think Nunez is the best striker that would be available between this transfer window and next summers transfer window, which I don't. In fact it might be unwise shopping this summer for a starting striker giving the very limited options available.
This is actually a good point because I’d pretty much written them off in the Haaland hunt as he is as far removed from the archetypal Pep striker as you can get. It’s almost like signing Lukaku for him. Yet he maybe feels the squad can carry his lack of tiki Taka ability and will just create a shed load of chances that he will score eliminating his lack of participation in the build up.
Maybe ETH wants something similar, and to be honest now is probably the best time for Nunez to join as he’ll have Ronaldo probably taking most the heat of the inevitable Haaland 51 mil vs whomever leads the line for us. It will only be worse if we wait a year to bring in a striker. That’s a burden no young forward needs.
Even assuming the data exaggerates the issue, I have yet to see a single person who watches him regularly suggest he is anything other than average technically at absolute best. And that includes both Sporting and Benfica fans in this very thread.
Which in itself isn't a crippling problem. Someone like Lukaku has had a successful career scoring many goals with technical flaws and would have been better again if he actually had work-rate off the ball. In the right set-up that less technical player can thrive.
But you have to be real about the weaknesses of the player. And in this case that technical weakness is quite clearly one. As long as you understand that's what you're signing and accept it, that's fine.
Also worth noting that despite his size he (again like Lukaku) isn't actually a natural target man. This is The Athletic's description of his style of play:
The question for us is whether that style of striker, with those strengths and weaknesses, is what we want/need. It may well be, but it might also not.
Which in itself isn't a crippling problem. Someone like Lukaku has had a successful career scoring many goals with technical flaws and would have been better again if he actually had work-rate off the ball. In the right set-up that less technical player can thrive.
But you have to be real about the weaknesses of the player. And in this case that technical weakness is quite clearly one. As long as you understand that's what you're signing and accept it, that's fine.
Also worth noting that despite his size he (again like Lukaku) isn't actually a natural target man. This is The Athletic's description of his style of play:
The question for us is whether that style of striker, with those strengths and weaknesses, is what we want/need. It may well be, but it might also not.
Who else would you recommend instead? you say options are limited but want a cheap striker now and another next year?
Yes we need funding in other positions, but we also only have 1 fit striker whos 38 years old.
Karim Adeyemi or Alvarez would have been great but those ships have sailed. Ekitike, Sesko and the likes are still quality options though, massive potential, can contribute to the squad as they are now and wouldn't cost as much as Nunez there by leaving funds for other areas.
They also would not expect to be first choice either but they would be solid dependable squad options. Should we also sign Nunez now, we would still need a cheap option when Ronaldo leaves next year. So either way we do need two strikers in two windows.
There is no way we would consider paying Martial 24m to leave.
I was just going by what I have heard about the player.
That he could also play as a winger.
I'm sure Erik will get us a good striker.
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Not feeling it for this kind of money, hope to see them spending the money in midfield and defensive backs or maybe even a player like Raphinha. Sure, we're thin at striker but I'd say feck Europa League and give that to Garnacho, McNeill etc, so Ronaldo is healthy for PL games. And if he falls out with injury, Rashford could always be his back-up. It's really not ideal but it's better than another season of Dalot-AWB or McFred. We NEED a midfield overhaul and if the reports about the budget are true, there's no room for 60-70 for Nunez when you can get the likes of Frenkie and Timber who would IMO improve this team more drastically.
I like him, and I like Timber.
But if we spend 100m on those two, what's left for our midfield?
But if we spend 100m on those two, what's left for our midfield?
Put it this way, the priority has always been CB and midfield, the budget will be spent on those areas. Even the report also mentioned if we can't land new striker, ten Hag might try to coach/develop Rashford to play as striker in the pre-season. So, I think if we sign Nunez then it depends on how much we can gain from sales.
Our ability to finance this deal along with other mooted big money moves for defence and midfield will be determined by (a) outgoings and (b) payment structure.
personally I would rather bring in three high quality additions than two and a couple of squad options.
We’d have much yet to do but a summer of Timber, De Jong and Nunez would be superb.
2-3 more quality additions next summer and we are sorted.
personally I would rather bring in three high quality additions than two and a couple of squad options.
We’d have much yet to do but a summer of Timber, De Jong and Nunez would be superb.
2-3 more quality additions next summer and we are sorted.
Fred.
McFred + Garner.
Nonsense. Ruuds build up play was as good as anyone's, Nunez really struggles to control a ball under pressure. It's like he has 50p coin feet.
Wait for the moaning about his touch and lack of ability in the build up if we get him.
Plus timber would transition from defence to attack fast.
South American Lukaku?
I think our budget will be fairly flexible if the right players are available. If we can get our number one target in positions of need then I think we will spend more than the £120m quoted.
We wouldn’t blow more than our budget in areas we need to sell players as well as buy them.
But I’d be very confident in having the extra funds to buy in key areas if needed.
It might have a knock on effect on the winter transfer window but if our number one targets are available now I really don’t see is not spending the money to get them.
Besides, strikers always take a chunk of any transfer budget. We have always spent world record fees or at least British records on our strikers. I cant think of a record singing for our strikers that has failed other than Davenport, the postman guy... Brazil...
So possible scenario:
In: Timber 43m, Nunez 68m, Torres 40m+?
Out: Henderson, AWB to raise 40-50m
De Gea
Timber Varane Torres Shaw
Fred Garner
Ronaldo Bruno Sancho
Nunez
'Not sure Torres will be a priority if we get Timber. Spend it on a smart/Ralf-suggested transfer for a mid? Or Garner will be eased in together?
Our striker signing post-Fergie has been Falcao, Martial, Ibrahimovic, Lukaku, Ighalo, Cavani, Ronaldo.
Lukaku in a way is our record striker signing. I say that list has been fairly hit-and-miss. I don't think it would be easy to have another record striker signing when we have just gotten Ronaldo last year. Even back in Fergie's years, you don't see him getting Van Persie immediately after that Berbatov summer. We waited a couple years before getting more. And Fergie was supposed to have a soft spot for strikers.
Nunezis a very good goal scorer but lacks build up play massively. I was assuming ETH would be going in for a striker similar to Haller as it has worked out for him really well in recent years. It would be interesting to see if he would like to experiment a slightly different attacking style than one he set at Ajax.
Right but we will be selling AWB, which means we will need another RB.
We can slot Timber there -- he's our two for one special. That's why he has a higher priority than Torres who I think, is a leaner version of Slabhead anyway. Timber transits the ball up faster and with more verticality when he plays at the CB position than anyone we have.
My eyes! That's championship level midfield at best, we'd get slaughtered in PL.
Ibrahim Sangare £30M
Fabian Ruiz £40M
I'm shocked both players don't have a thread to analyze them. These are our best realistic targets!
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