Liverpool ‘lining up to sign’ Darwin Nunez 2.0

Robin Bairner

30 Mar 2026 08:18 BST
4 min read

After allowing Darwin Nunez to leave last summer, Liverpool are stepping up the hunt to find a similar player to the Anfield cult hero.

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Nunez departed Liverpool in a €53 million switch to Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal a year, but while the Reds recruited Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike, they did not find a similar type of all-action centre-forward.

Arne Slot’s side are “lining up to sign” Luis Suarez from Sporting CP in a move that could give the Anfield club a similar type of forward, according to Correio da Manha in Portugal.

Current ETV

Luis Suárez

F (C)

Sporting

Luis Suárez

F (C)

Sporting

ETV Range

€20.5M - €25.1M

Liverpool want Luis Suarez

Liverpool and Newcastle are both interested in signing the 28-year-old Suarez, who leads Portugal’s scoring charts on 24 goals.

In this regard, he replicates Nunez, whom the Reds signed from Benfica after he netted 34 times in a campaign.

While there is no transfer fee mentioned, Suarez’s Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) stands at €22.8 million - a comparative bargain price compared to the typical fee paid by the Premier League champions in recent times.

Why Suarez and Nunez are different

Nunez struggled to live up to expectations after his €75m move (plus €10m in bonuses) from Benfica, though he did win over supporters with his hard-working attitude in a three-year spell on Merseyside.

Is there a danger that Suarez would fall similarly flat?

According to data analytics firm SciSports, this is potentially the case. Suarez is given a skill rating of only 67.0, which is based on hundreds of in-game data points. While this is below the likes of Ekitike (79.7) and Isak (79.9), it does surpass that of Federico Chiesa (66.7), who is expected to leave at the end of the season.

But on the other hand, Suarez would not join with the same expectations as Nunez, who was expected to be Liverpool's front-line striker. If the Colombian were to arrive on Merseyside, it would be as a backup option to Isak, and everyone would be aware of this status.

How Luis Suarez to Liverpool could work

Suarez may not have the quality to enhance Liverpool’s front-line options, but this is not necessarily the goal of Arne Slot heading into the summer.

Isak will, surely, contribute more to the Reds’ cause next season and become the natural No.9, with Ekitike liable to play more off the left, where Cody Gakpo’s place is under threat. This opens up the possibility of Suarez acting as Isak’s natural backup. He is a closer match in terms of his style than Ekitike.

© IMAGO - Luis Suarez, Alexander Isak, Style comparison

He is also a similar match to Nunez, whose chaotic presence has been missed at Anfield this season.

With the correct expectation level and at the right price, Suarez could prove a smart match for Liverpool.

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