Darwin Nunez was signed by Liverpool in the summer of 2022. It was expected to be the battle of the two strikers as Jurgen Klopp’s rival Pep Guardiola‘s Man city would sign Erling Haaland in the same window. Darwin was an exceptional striker at Benfica, racking up 48 goals and 16 assists in 85 games for As Águias. One of the most notable goals came during a Uefa Champions league group stage game against Barcelona in 2021 where he would make a darting run leaving his defender stunned and slot a beautiful finish in the near post inside the first 3 minutes of kickoff.
It would in fact be the Uruguayan who would impress first, scoring a goal in injury time against Erling Haaland’s Manchester City to seal the game for the Reds and win them the Community Shield.
With Al Hilal now signing him for €53m plus add-ons according to Fabrizio Romano, it would be the end to a chaotic and enthralling chapter for the Uruguayan.
Hit and Miss
Núñez was consistently among the Premier League’s worst xG underperformers meaning he regularly failed to convert chances that statistically should have been goals. He missed the most big chances in the Premier League during his time there, becoming almost notorious for spurning golden opportunities. He would accumulate xG of 33.79 and he would only score 25 goals, an underperformance of 10.47 goals. The man he was supposed to rival- Erling Haaland accumulated 80.08 expected goals for Man city in the Premier League in his career and scored 85 goals, an overperformance of 5 goals according to data from statmuse.
His Liverpool debut epitomized this frustration – he scored within minutes of coming on against Fulham, then got sent off for a headbutt against Crystal Palace in his first home game. The pattern was set: moments of brilliance followed by head-scratching decisions. This sentence essentially summarizes Darwin, a man of chaos, who could score an unbelievable goal but could also miss a 1v1 against the keeper. If there was a game to summarize Darwin, it was his performance against Chelsea. He would hit the woodwork 4 times, one from his left boot, one from his right boot, one from a header and to cap it all off from 12 yards out.
Cult Hero
He was still loved by Liverpool fans and players alike. A memorable performance remembered by Liverpool fans was his cameo off the bench against Brentford. He would strike in the 91st and 93rd minute to give Liverpool a much needed win as they were battling Arsenal for the title at that stage. The fans loved the Uruguayan and would often chant Nunez Nunez Nunez showing support to the young man. Players also loved him, evidenced by Konate’s support via this message on Instagram –
The Liverpool skipper would also comment on the side missing a striker after their loss on penalties to Crystal Palace last night in the Community Shield
Virgil Van Dijk says Liverpool "need a new striker" after the recent departures of Luis Díaz and Darwin Nuñez 👀🤔 pic.twitter.com/G3uKg35R7O
— LiveScore (@livescore) August 10, 2025
Núñez takes with him the genuine affection of Liverpool fans who saw past the statistics to appreciate a player who, win or lose, gave them something to believe in. Sometimes the most beloved players aren’t the most clinical – they’re the ones who make you feel every emotion football has to offer.
Darwin Núñez did exactly that, and Liverpool supporters wouldn’t have had it any other way.
