Arsenal and Manchester United have looked overseas in their search for a new striker this summer but one pundit feels they should have considered a move for Darwin Nunez
Dean Saunders feels Arsenal and Manchester United may have missed a trick by not ‘taking a chance’ on Darwin Nunez instead of pursuing deals for Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko this summer.
A host of Premier League clubs, including the Gunners, United and Liverpool, have spent the summer looking for a new No 9. Arsenal have since signed Gyokeres with United now closing in on a deal for Sesko. Liverpool themselves are keen on snapping up Alexander Isak.
Nunez was tipped to exit Anfield heading into the summer after scoring just five times in the top-flight last season.
And while he has tentatively been linked with other clubs in England in recent months, the Uruguay star is poised to move to the Saudi Pro League with Al-Hilal.
But as Nunez prepares to undergo a medical before completing his £46million move, Saunders has questioned why Liverpool’s domestic rivals decided against pursuing a move for the striker.
READ MORE: Transfer news LIVE: Liverpool agree Nunez exit, Sesko wants Man Utd, Newcastle’s new targetREAD MORE: Liverpool hit £145m mark with six exits and two more could help fund Alexander Isak deal
“Nunez, he’s up for grabs. Would you rather not have Nunez than Sesko and Gyokeres?’ Saunders said on talkSPORT. “They paid a lot of money for them, and I thought, ‘He’s up for grabs.’ I would take a chance on him.”
Saunders added: “He’s got every finish in his locker, both feet, headers, he’s gone round the keeper, he’s slotted the keeper, he’s chipped the keeper, he’s scored from distance.
“We’ve seen him do every finish, but somehow he manages to conjure up a miss – I don’t know how many times he hit the post and the crossbar last season.
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“There’s definitely a player in there, you look at him and think, ‘What a handful he is to play against.’
“He scored a lot of goals for Benfica in his second season and a couple of seasons ago he got 20-odd for Liverpool. I wouldn’t be surprised if Nunez goes somewhere else and scores 20 goals next season.”
With Nunez now off the books at Anfield, Liverpool are expected to sign a replacement before the transfer window shuts next month. Isak remains their primary target, however, Newcastle do not want to sell their star striker and it’s thought Liverpool would need to pay at least £150m to bring the Sweden star to Merseyside.
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