Danny Murphy has claimed to notice one significant difference between Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez and his Manchester United counterpart Rasmus Hojlund.
Both centre-forwards came to their respective clubs for big fees, with the Uruguayan costing us an initial £64m in 2022 and the Denmark international doing likewise at Old Trafford last summer.
In his column for the Daily Mail on Saturday night, the former Anfield midfielder addressed the latter, citing a ‘contrast’ between him and the Red’s current number 9.
Murphy wrote: “I’m dubious about whether Rasmus Hojlund is the world-class No 9 United need. There is nothing in his game that scares defenders. I contrast him to Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez, who is erratic but will do a mad bit of skill or make an aggressive dash to cause some problems for defenders.
“Hojlund is not quick, skilful or clever enough for that ‘Wow’ factor. He’s 21 and has time to develop. But right now, he is not a Champions League or Premier League-winning No 9.”
Focusing primarily on Nunez, Murphy’s assessment of the 24-year-old is a fair one.
We know that Liverpool’s number 9 can lack composure at times in the final third and has been culpable of some awful misses, but he’s equally likely to pull off a finish which has jaws dropping.
Think back to his cracking volley in the Premier League win over West Ham last September, or his curled beauty in the Carabao Cup win at Bournemouth – those aren’t the kind of finishes that any average striker can pull off with such finesse.
Also, as Murphy references, Nunez is the type of centre-forward whose incessant running stretches opposition defences, even if his enthusiasm can get the better of him with a tendency to be caught needlessly offside.
The Uruguayan mightn’t be quite as composed and clinical as other players in his position, but his return of 33 goals in his first two seasons at Liverpool show that he’s certainly well able to find the net, and he’s definitely not dull to watch!
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