Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Darwin Nunez to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer transfer window.
That’s according to a recent report by Football Transfers, who claim that Fabio Paratici has already made contact with the Benfica centre-forward’s representatives regarding a move for the 22-year-old – with the Portuguese outfit reported to be willing to part with the Uruguay international for a figure in the region of £68m this summer.
The report goes on to state that Liverpool, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid are also keeping a very close eye on the situation of the striker ahead of a potential swoop of their own in the coming months.
Van Dijk’s worst nightmare
Considering the quite extraordinary season Nunez enjoyed in 2021/22, it is easy to see why Paratici appears keen to secure a deal to bring the centre-forward to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer.
Indeed, over his 28 Liga Portugal appearances this term, the £49.5m-rated talent was in devastating form for Benfica, scoring a league-high 26 goals, registering four assists and creating ten big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 3.0 shots, making 1.1 key passes and completing 1.4 dribbles per game.
These returns saw the 22-year-old average a simply sensational SofaScore match rating of 7.48, ranking him as the joint third-best player in the top flight of Portuguese football.
The £31k-per-week forward who Keifer MacDonald dubbed the “complete package” also highly impressed over his ten Champions League appearances, scoring six goals against the likes of Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Ajax and Liverpool, as well as averaging a SofaScore match rating of 7.06.
The Uruguayan’s performances over the two-legged quarter-final with Jurgen Klopp’s side particularly caught the eye, with the striker’s displays leading Virgil van Dijk to claim that the former Penarol starlet is one of the top five players he has ever faced.
When asked who were the most difficult opponents he has played against, the Netherlands international stated:
Do you think Nunez would be a good signing for £68m?
Yes
No
“[Sergio] Aguero was obviously unbelievable. [Lionel] Messi, arguably the best player in the history of football in my opinion. [Kylian] Mbappe is different, quick… [Erling] Haaland and also Darwin. He’s a bit similar – very direct, quick, tall, strong and it’s quite difficult to play against him.”
As such, considering his undoubted ability, his potential for future growth and his extremely reasonable £68m price tag, Paratici simply must do everything he can to win the race for Nunez this summer, as, if the 22-year-old can give a player as talented as Van Dijk nightmares, this will certainly be the case for every other defender in the English top-flight next season.
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