Liverpool followers will hope Darwin Nunez goes on a devastating run of type now, having damaged his goalscoring duck for the 2024/25 Premier League season final trip in opposition to AFC Bournemouth.
This was the Uruguayan attacker’s first begin within the league beneath the brand new Arne Slot regime, and he repaid his supervisor’s religion with a strike within the one-sided contest, because the Reds swept the Cherries apart 3-0.
Underneath the earlier stewardship of Jurgen Klopp, Nunez hadn’t precisely sparked into life and proven himself to be a constant finisher of possibilities although, with a passable however not superb 11 top-flight strikes managed final marketing campaign earlier than the German handed over the reins.
As soon as upon a time deep into the German’s tenure, the Reds almost snapped up a youthful however nonetheless potent Erling Haaland, who might have price pennies to land, when weighed up subsequent to Nunez’s extortionate £85m price ticket.
When Liverpool might have signed Haaland
Amazingly, Borussia Dortmund managed to snap up the ice-cold Norwegian’s companies in 2019 for a low £17m, after the Scandinavian had grow to be a scarily medical aim machine for RB Salzburg in close by Austria.
Netting a ridiculous 29 instances from simply 27 appearances for Salzburg, the objectives would not let up for the Nordic nice in Germany both, with 86 strikes coming his method from 89 video games, as Dortmund laughed all the best way to the financial institution when Manchester Metropolis took an interest.
Dortmund’s unbelievable acquire might properly have been Liverpool’s theoretically, with the Reds desperate to get Haaland by means of the door in 2019 earlier than his main transfer to the Bundesliga.
Ex-Molde scout John Vik revealed in 2022 to the Athletic that Liverpool – alongside Arsenal – had their eyes on a rising Haaland when he was nonetheless enjoying in his native Norway, however none have been prepared make the leap and gamble on the towering centre-forward. On the time, he was enjoying for Molde and might have been out there for simply £4m.
“Liverpool might have gotten him. Arsenal might have gotten him. Everybody was there to observe him however these golf equipment have been seeing a No 9 who was tall and broad and, ‘Oh, he’s going to be a goal man’. I couldn’t for the lifetime of me see why they’d narrowed him down that method.” – Vik on Haaland.
That should be a significant remorse on the tip of the Reds, who might do with a lethal striker away from Nunez and a misfiring Diogo Jota, with Haaland now one of many world’s finest skills at rivals Manchester Metropolis.
Erling Haaland’s switch worth in 2024
Based on Transfermarkt, Haaland’s valuation has now shot as much as a steep £152m, a far-cry away from his humble beginnings at Dortmund when he price a meagre £17m to select up.
The menacing 24-year-old has grow to be a “particular expertise” striker – as per Jesse Marsch – donning a Metropolis shirt beneath Pep Guardiola’s skilled administration, with a staggering 100 objectives and 14 assists registered throughout 105 appearances up to now.
As might be seen within the desk beneath, having Haaland at Slot’s disposal proper now would undoubtably enhance Liverpool going ahead, with Nunez and Jota’s mixed aim whole this Premier League season thus far staggeringly seven off the deadly 24-year-old’s whole.
Haaland vs Nunez & Jota’s (24/25) | ||
|---|---|---|
Gamers | Video games performed | Objectives scored |
5 | 10 | |
4 | 1 | |
4 | 1 | |
Sourced by Sofascore | ||
The Reds would have been in a position to win him for a lot lower than what Man Metropolis forked out as properly, with the reigning top-flight champions having to pay up a £51.2m payment, which continues to be modest for such a devastating attacker, however excessive in comparison with his earlier £4m price-tag again in Norway.
Haaland does not appear to be stopping anytime quickly both in the case of his harmful type in-front of aim, with the world class Man Metropolis striker succesful someday of going for a lavish quantity to a different membership.
While Metropolis enjoy having a striker of the Norwegian’s high quality at their disposal week in week out, the Reds will remorse not simply taking a punt on the prolific ahead when he was a uncooked unpolished gem enjoying for Molde.
