SL Benfica president opens up on selling Darwin Nunez to Liverpool
Following the record sale of Darwin Nunez to Liverpool, former SL Benfica player and current president Rui Costa believes that the sale was more than just “justified” due to the finances involved in the deal. [as spoken on BTV] (h/t Daily Mail)
The Reds signed Darwin from the Portuguese outfit for an initial sum of £64m, going up to £85m with add-ons. So far, it is hard to judge whether the 23-year-old was worth the money or not.
Liverpool have played six league games this season, Darwin featured in three and sat out of three because of a suspension. He was among the scorers in Liverpool’s win against Fulham on the opening matchday. He received a red card for violent conduct early in the second half of Liverpool’s match against Crystal Palace. Therefore, he missed important fixtures against Manchester United, AFC Bournemouth and Newcastle United.
“The sale of Darwin is more than justified. There weren’t even conditions to keep him, it was completely impossible, for the values that came into the club and for what Darwin went on to earn.”
At a time like this pandemic, when the clubs are not earning enough money, Costa believes that making a sale of such high volumes “is not open to discussion” and believes that it was hard to turn down such a high transfer fee.
“We are still coming out of a pandemic situation, which held back the football market. Making a sale of €75m plus €25m is not open to discussion.”
Darwin’s Form
For a striker who scored 34 goals and got four assists across all competitions in just 41 appearances, Liverpool might have believed that the player would cost so much to the club, hence they cashed out such a huge figure, breaking their own transfer record for Virgil van Dijk.
To be fair, Nunez has not got much of an opportunity to prove himself given the Uruguayan sat out owing to suspension. But a chance stands, against Ajax on Tuesday night. Returning to his beloved competition from where he burst onto the scene, it won’t be surprising to see Darwin lead the frontline against the Dutch outfit.
Given Liverpool’s poor form over the season, it is not fair to point out a player or two for poor performances as it is the whole team at the moment. Certain moments can trigger a positive change, and hopefully, the 4-1 at Napoli served as an eye-opener for Jurgen Klopp and his men.
Liverpool’s new #27 would hope to put a stop to the critics’ mouths and let his performance speak rather than his emotions. That is precisely what gaffer Jurgen Klopp demanded from him as well.
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Suspensions in the Premier League fixtures gives enough rest for players to recover well and give their best out there. Liverpool fans would hope to see the best of the squad going forward in the season, and particularly Darwin, for whom such a huge amount of money was splurged.
