Darwin Nuñez earns comparisons to Liverpool goalscoring legend for 'refusing to give up'

Darwin Nunez is one of the most in-form strikers around at the moment, contributing 12 goals and 11 assists so far this season. 

He has thus far outperformed the likes of Leroy Sane, Robert Lewandowski, Son Heung-min and Victor Osimhen in terms of his overall total of goal contributions in 2023/24, with 23. 

The 24-year-old gets criticised for a lack of refinement in his game at times but there is no denying his effectiveness up front for Liverpool. 

An expensive signing at €75m from Benfica, Nunez took some time to get used to life at Anfield but has recently hit his stride and helped ease the striking burden in the enforced absence of Mohamed Salah. 

With the Egyptian set to return to the side after injury, Nunez will be no less important this weekend when the Reds visit Brentford, and he has now been compared with another Uruguayan Liverpool star. 

Luis Suarez was a Reds striker from 2011 to 2014, a tour de force in the Liverpool attack who picked up a Golden Boot, a European Golden Shoe and a PFA Players’ Player of the Year award during his time on Merseyside. 

Nunez has a long way to go before emulating his more illustrious compatriot and international team-mate but his tenacity and bravery mark him out as a dedicated Liverpool hero in the making. 

He has been on the goal trail of late - netting strikes against Bournemouth and Burnley in the Premier League and against Norwich in the FA Cup - and his goal against the Clarets earned him the praise of another Liverpool goalscorer in the shape of John Aldridge. 

Writing in his Liverpool Echo column, the ex-Red said: “I thought Diaz's header was the pick of the bunch but it was Nunez, who was excellent again, who most caught the eye. 

“The way the crowd sings his name all game speaks for itself. He is a bag of tricks and is very much like Luis Suarez at times in the way he refuses to ever give up. 

“He is fearless, puts in a real shift and throws his head in where it hurts, as evidenced by the goal. He was a real handful all day for Burnley. 

“OK, he might lack composure at times but let me tell you something, you'd rather have him in your team than against you. He will be vital against Brentford on Saturday, no doubt.”

Liverpool are in action in the Saturday lunchtime kickoff against Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium, a ground on which they are yet to win having drawn and lost on their two previous visits.