Premier League champions Manchester City are reportedly keeping tabs on Benfica striker and Uruguay international Darwin Nunez.
There is no hiding the fact that Pep Guardiola's side are still in the transfer market for a new centre-forward, after failing to lure their primary target Harry Kane from Tottenham Hotspur this summer.
The Citizens remain interested in signing the England captain, but are also considering alternatives and have identified Nunez as a potential target.
City are believed to be leading the race for the 22-year-old's signature, though Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and Bayern Munich are also monitoring his situation, with his agent Edgardo Lasalvia stating that discussions have been held with 'world-class clubs'.
Here, Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at Nunez and what Man City supporters could expect from the 22-year-old should he move to the Etihad Stadium.
Background
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Born in the northern Uruguayan city of Artigas, Nunez began his youth career with hometown clubs La Luz and San Miguel de Artigas, before joining one of the nation's biggest outfits Penarol in 2013 aged just 14.
The striker's senior debut was delayed after he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury at the beginning of 2017 and underwent surgery. However in November that year, Nunez recovered and ran out as a professional player for the first time in Penarol's 2-1 defeat away to River Plate Montevideo. The following month, he was forced to have a second operation on the same knee.
Nunez endured a difficult few months during this period, so much so he even considered quitting football at such a young age, but the Uruguayan's family and teammates gave him the drive and motivation to come back stronger.
After scoring his first professional goal in October 2018, Nunez netted a hat-trick in a 4-0 victory over Boston River, one of several impressive performances which caught the eye of Spanish second-tier side Almeria, who spent around £4.5m for his services in August 2019.
The forward was able to put his past injury concerns behind him and enjoyed a successful maiden campaign for La Rojiblancos, scoring 16 league goals in 32 appearances, before making the switch in 2020 to Portuguese giants Benfica, where he has since taken his game to new heights.
Recent form
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After completing his £21.8m transfer to Benfica in September 2020, Nunez was thrown straight into the starting lineup as their leading centre-forward. The Uruguayan scored his first goal for the club in a Europa League group match against Lech Poznan, before completing his hat-trick in the same game to seal a 4-0 victory.
Fortunately for Nunez, he only missed a handful of matches throughout the 2020-21 campaign due to either injury or illness, and his regular presence in attack benefitted the Eagles.
The 22-year-old was not only able to show his prolific abilities in front of goal – scoring 14 times across all competitions – but he also displayed the creative side to his game, laying on 12 assists, including 10 in the Primeira Liga, which was only matched by Porto's Mehdi Taremi.
Despite Nunez's efforts in front of goal, Benfica endured their first trophyless season in eight years. However, the Eagles have begun the 2021-22 campaign brightly, winning seven of their opening eight league games.
They have also claimed four points from their first two Champions League group games, including an impressive 3-0 victory over Barcelona last month, in which Nunez bagged a brace; the Uruguayan has now scored six goals in eight appearances across all competitions so far this season.
International experience
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As Uruguay's golden generation is slowly phasing out, with the nation's top two goalscorers Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani approaching the end of their careers, Nunez looks set to be the next in line for La Celeste on the international stage.
After initial spells with the Under-20's team, competing in the 2019 South America Under-20s Championship, the 2019 Under-20s World Cup and 2019 Pan American Games, Nunez eventually received his first senior call-up and made his debut for Uruguay in October of the same year.
The 22-year-old came off the bench for the final 15 minutes of a friendly match away in Peru and scored with a brave header at the near post to rescue a 1-1 draw for the visitors. The striker also found the net in a World Cup qualifier against Colombia in November last year, taking his tally to two goals in four international appearances for Uruguay.
Nunez underwent another operation on his knee this summer, which ruled him out of the Copa America, however he has since been selected for October's crucial World Cup qualifiers against Colombia, Argentina and Brazil, with the hope that he can continue his club form with the national team.
Oliver Thomas
