Manchester City are reportedly in the hunt for Benfica striker and Uruguay international Darwin Nunez.
The Uruguayan has been in great form this season for Benfica, with six goals in just eight matches. He scored a brace as the Portuguese side beat Barcelona 3-0 in the Champions League last week. It has been reported that scouts from City were in attendance for the match.
The 22-year-old has a buy-out clause of £125 million, though there is belief that he could be bought for closer to £70 million. City face some stiff competition, however, with Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Bayern Munich all linked as well.
City will be on the hunt for a striker next year as they look to finally replace Sergio Aguero following their failed attempts to sign Harry Kane. The Citizens remain interested in signing the England captain, but are also considering alternatives and have identified Nunez as a potential target.
Who is City target Darwin Nunez?
Nunez was born in the northern Uruguayan city of Artigas. He began his youth career with hometown clubs La Luz and San Miguel de Artigas. This was 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, Nunez recovered in November that year. He eventually made his debut as a professional player for the first time in Penarol’s 2-1 defeat away to River Plate Montevideo.
Nunez endured a difficult few months during this period. It got to a point where he even considered quitting football at such a young age. However, 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. His impressive performances caught the eye of Spanish second-tier side Almeria. They spent around £4.5 million for his services in August 2019.
Nunez was able to put his past injury concerns behind him and enjoyed a successful maiden campaign for La Rojiblancos. He scored 16 league goals in 32 appearances, before making the switch to Portuguese giants Benfica in 2020.
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