“I was the first one” — Luis Suarez sends message to Darwin Nunez following Liverpool transfer
Luis Suarez has shown his support to fellow Uruguayan, and Liverpool’s new record signing Darwin Nunez as the former Benfica marksman follows in his predecessor’s footsteps at Anfield.
The 22-year-old goal-getter thrust his name into the limelight last season after racking up some impressive scoring numbers in the Portuguese capital, where he netted 34 goals across all competitions, including 26 in 28 league games for Benfica.
A host of Europe’s leading lights were thought to be in contention to lure Nunez away from the Estadio da Luz, but Jurgen Klopp’s side ultimately won the race for his signature, as they further bolster their frontline in a bid to challenge Manchester City for the Premier League title in 2022/23.
By transferring to Anfield, Nunez becomes only the third Uruguayan to represent the current League Cup and FA Cup holders, following in the footsteps of Suarez and current Sporting star Sebastian Coates, who both left the club in 2014 and 2015 respectively.
Suarez, in particular, left a lasting impression on Merseyside as he netted 82 goals in 133 games across all competitions and famously clinched the highly-coveted PFA Player of the Year award in 2013/14 — and now he has backed Nunez to emulate his success.
Following a social media post by Nunez in which he captioned “Forever Uruguayan”, Suarez responded: “I was the first one too! But I hope you come first in GOALS. Hug!!”
Siempre uruguayo 😂🧉 pic.twitter.com/7t5RgQikh0
— Darwin Núñez (@Darwinn99) June 15, 2022
Nunez then replied: “I am proud to follow in your footsteps. I hope I can perform like you did in Liverpool.”
Following his move to Anfield, Nunez spoke of his delight in joining such a prestigious club, outlining Klopp’s playing style as a key motivator for his decision.
He said: “It’s a pleasure to be here in Liverpool and I’m very happy to be a part of this great club.
“I’ve played against Liverpool and I’ve seen them in lots of games in the Champions League, and it’s my style of play. There are some great players here and I think it’s going to suit my style of play here.”
