La Gazzetta dello Sport begin a report by stating that Milan, if the deal really goes through, will hope that the Nunez operation doesn’t end up like the Divock Origi one. In the case of the Uruguayan, however, the starting point would be decidedly different.
Origi arrived on a free transfer, Darwin would arrive on the basis of a significant transfer fee, let’s say no less than €45-50m. This is a safe assumption for the simple reason that three years ago Liverpool paid Benfica €75m in fixed fees for him, to which €25m in bonuses must be added.
In other words: the most expensive purchase in the history of the Reds at the time (Florian Wirtz will soon become the most expensive). At the time, there was even discussion about who was the best between him and Erling Haaland, who arrived in Manchester in the same summer.
Fast-forwarding to today, Nunez is a purchase that – after a promising start – did not live up to promises and expectations. Now, a departure seems a certainty, and Italy could be in his future
Nunez was put up for sale, because the English champions need money for the accounts and because the former Benfica man has not proven to be up to the investment. Let’s be clear: Darwin is not at loggerheads with Liverpool, the adventure simply did not go as everyone expected.
Despite the Reds coming off a season in which they won the title, Nunez struggled to make a mark. With Arne Slot the relationship practically never took off (but also with Jurgen Klopp the relationship had deteriorated considerably), to the extent that the coach even preferred Diogo Jota to him.
In the last Premier League season, Liverpool scored 86 goals, of which only five were netted by Darwin, who made only eight starts in the league. Overall, his total appearances were 47 (seven goals), amassing 2,038 minutes. It is not enough from ‘Mister €100m’.
His previous two campaigns on Merseyside yielded 15 goals in 2,366 minutes (42 appearances) the first year and 18 in 3,026 (54 appearances) in the second. Milan, it seems, believe that he can improve on those numbers in Italy.
