Next season, Arne Slot’s Anfield project would benefit greatly from having this rapidly improving marksman on board.

How do you handle an issue such as Darwin Nunez? The Liverpool striker has made the Reds supporters feel every feeling possible. He has amazed and wound up in equal measure as he draws attention and misses the goal.

The Uruguay international is a unique player, endowed with influential prancing in the danger area and plagued by unforgivable profligacy in front of goal, capable of inducing equal amounts of anxiety and joy through his own support.

The transfer window is rapidly approaching, threatening to overwhelm us like a raging storm. Although Arne Slot will lead Liverpool into a new era upon his arrival at Anfield, there will be a lot of player turnover as Jurgen Klopp bids adieu to the Premier League.

Will Nunez be involved in this redesign? His long-term future is a topic of discussion, and Michael Edwards, the CEO of Football at FSG, will have led these discussions at the transfer table.

Liverpool’s intended summer transfer schedule

Nunez is reportedly very much on Barcelona’s radar as Xavi searches for Robert Lewandowski’s replacement. Lewandowski is one of the best goal scorers of his generation, but he will turn 36 in 2024–2025. These reports come from Spanish sources.

Nunez joined Liverpool in 2022 for a club-record cost that would eventually rise to £85 million. However, he has only scored 33 goals in 94 games and has come under fire recently for his role in the team’s late-season collapse. Nunez has been inconsistent in his play, going blank in six straight Premier League games.

By removing Liverpool FC-related images from his social media profiles, the 24-year-old has increased speculation about his position in Slot’s team, therefore it makes sense that Liverpool would be looking for a new center-forward.

Mohamed Amoura, a player for Union Saint-Gilloise in Belgium, is among the most recent names to surface. L’Equipe has reported that Amoura has already received a call from Liverpool’s management.

At €20 million (£17 million), Amoura is a bit of a gamble, but Liverpool and Edwards frequently go the unconventional route, so they may pull off a stunning coup with this one.

Numbers from Darwin Nunez’s seasonNunez has undoubtedly improved in his second season at Liverpool, scoring 18 goals and dishing out 13 assists across all competitions, taking home the Carabao Cup, and contributing significantly to the team’s comeback from the unimpressive 2022–2023 campaign.

Nunez is not posing as a Premier League striker, despite what some of the more vindictive social media commentary suggests. Although Nunez has shortcomings, he also possesses a lot of strengths and has shown growth since his debut in England.

The £140k-per-week star has been far more productive creatively, but his finishing has still left a lot to be desired. According to FBref, he has scored goals in the top 18% of forwards in Europe’s top five leagues over the past year, but he has also took 1% more shots per 90.

This measure supports his wastefulness, particularly when combined with statistics that reveals a return of 20 goals in two Premier League campaigns accompanied with an astounding 47 big-time opportunities that were lost.

It would be hard for Liverpool to say no to Barcelona if they offered them an alluring financial package. Particularly considering that Amoura and Slot are keeping an eye on other strikers Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo, who are keen to secure starting positions.

Mohamed Amoura’s potential fit at Liverpool

Talent scout Jacek Kulig has praised Amoura for his “incredibly prolific” debut season in Belgium, and he has undoubtedly laid the groundwork for a successful career.

The Algerian international has 23 goals and seven assists in all competitions. Most notably, he scored and provided an assist as USG upset Liverpool 2-1 in their last Europa League group-stage encounter.

Some performance. Amoura proved he can throw down with the best as his talismanic performance sank Liverpool and ensured his side cemented a third-place finish and advanced to the Europa Conference League knockout rounds.

What’s more, he has scored 18 goals from 22 league matches this season while missing only three big chances – that is an extraordinary level of precision in striking moments.

The Algerian striker ranks among the top 1% of positional peers across divisions similar to the Jupiler Pro League for goals scored per 90, as per FBref – sure, that’s wonderful stuff.

But he also ranks among the top 10% for assists, the top 7% for shot-creating actions, the top 1% for progressive carries, the top 4% for successful take-ons and the top 11% for tackles per 90.

He does the fundamentals perfectly, plies his trade with the clarity and composure of a natural-born star. Amoura is yet to try his hand in one of Europe’s top-five leagues but there’s a sense that he would be an excellent replacement for Nunez, offering similar snap and spark in his all-round play but, more importantly, offering a clinical touch that has evaded the Uruguayan.

But what of Nunez’s stunning goalscoring season with Benfica, before joining Liverpool, you cry. True enough, the South American star scored 24 goals from 28 starts in Liga Portugal in 2021/22, but he still missed 14 big chances in less testing circumstances.

The rigours of the Premier League have struck many promising players down, but Amoura has an inborn goalscoring talent and he has the all-encompassing, dynamic skill set to complement.

He’s not the household name that some might expect if Liverpool are to replace Nunez this summer, but trust in Edwards, trust in Liverpool’s transfer diligence.

 

This might prove to be a shrewd signing, one that would be perfect for Slot’s high-energy system. It might be an addition that ensures Liverpool enter a new era with a flourish.