Liverpool thought they had the next Markovic, but now he’s like Vini Jr

Before Jurgen Klopp was appointed to replace the beleaguered Brendan Rodgers in 2015, Liverpool weren’t exactly savvy in the transfer market.

In fact, the Anfield side had been tied to something of a reputation for ineffective, questionable signings. One of the worst, right before Klopp’s advent, was the £20m deal to sign Lazar Markovic from SL Benfica in 2014, using money made from Luis Suarez’s sale to Barcelona.

Liverpool endured a tough 2014/15 season and Markovic was at the epicentre, completing 34 appearances for the Reds but only scoring three goals and adding one assist.

Reporter James Pearce said that the Serbian was “rated as one of the most exciting young talents in Europe,” but he left with his tail between his legs and has never captured and directed the nascent quality that hinted at something brilliant.

It’s a type of purchase that Liverpool have been determined never to repeat, but before Darwin Nunez joined the club, there were concerns that he was going to be the next version of the former flop.

Liverpool’s next Lazar Markovic

In June 2022, Liverpool sold Sadio Mane to Bayern Munich for an initial £27m fee, and while Luis Diaz had been prudently snapped up six months before, a player of that calibre needed replacing in the aggregate.

Thus, Nunez was signed in a deal rising to a club-record £85m figure, becoming the first acquisition Liverpool had made from Benfica since purchasing Markovic eight years before.

Signing such an unknown commodity is always going to be something of a risk, as was the case when Markovic was landed years before. TalkSPORT had questioned Liverpool’s bid, suggesting that it could have been a signing that emulated the previous misfire. Markovic, after all, was also courted by Chelsea in the lead-up to his Anfield arrival.

Former Chelsea manager, Avram Grant, had said of the Serbia international: “I can say that apart from Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, Markovic is one of the best talents I’ve ever seen at 19 years of age.”

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast’s ‘First Impressions’ series has everything you need.

As you can see, talent and expectation alone are not enough to hit success. Conversely, such things can prove to be the unravelling of a talented prospect.

Nunez had some cobwebbed history to overcome, and for many, the jury may well still be out, over two years since he joined Liverpool. Indeed, the Uruguay international has faced plenty of criticism for poor finishing, though he’s also blessed with some of the most awe-inspiring athletic qualities – and a tenacity to admire too.

In any case, he’s successfully avoided plummeting into a status that mirrors that of Markovic, who is undoubtedly one of the worst Liverpool signings across the past decade. Instead, he can enter the same conversation as Vinicius Junior, Real Madrid superstar.

Nunez is now playing like Vinicius Junior

He hasn’t hit the kind of free-scoring form that all of a Liverpool persuasion want for him under Arne Slot‘s wing, but Nunez is certainly showcasing improvements, especially when looking at the underlying data.

The data pool from the current campaign is shallow, but Nunez has succeeded in making headway across a number of key metrics.

Namely, the Uruguayan is becoming crisper with his passing and far more incisive with his dribbling, completing a whopping 75% of his darting runs, penetrating through lines to either strike on goal or make space for, say, Mohamed Salah.

Nunez has also missed just the one big chance in the top flight this term, having scored twice across his four starting appearances.

Sharp, dynamic movements have always been a staple of his skill set and something that he wears on his sleeve, ranking among the top 15% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for progressive carries and the top 4% for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90, as per FBref.

It’s such progressive properties that have led FBref to list Vinicius Junior as a comparable player. The Real Madrid sensation might have been snubbed for the Ballon d’Or in October, but he’s still one of the finest forwards in the world, having posted 36 goals and 18 assists for his club since the start of last season.

Nunez hasn’t found his richest attacking form under Slot’s wing – yet – but he notched 18 goals and 13 assists across all competitions for Liverpool last season and needs only hit that vein to marry the Vinicius-esque athletic ability and rise to the fore

Vinicius is creative and lightning-quick, endowed with the trickiest of tricks and confidence to match. His versatility is something to admire, and if Nunez just continues to work on his football, he could become “unstoppable” – as Klopp has hailed him before – and hit the same level as the Brazilian sensation.

After all, he’s already playing in a similar manner. Now to raise his game.

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