Virgil van Dijk says Liverpool have a player who is a real handful to deal with for any defender in the world.
The Dutchman is the best centre-back on the planet in many people’s eyes. He is one of the biggest reasons why Liverpool were so successful under Jurgen Klopp.
Van Dijk has come up against some of the best attackers in the world over the years. He knows a terrific player when he sees one now.
Now, he has had his say on one of his Liverpool teammates.
Virgil van Dijk delivers honest verdict on Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez
Liverpool signed Darwin Nunez from Benfica in the summer of 2022 for a club-record £85 million (Sky Sports).
The Uruguay international had a tremendous final campaign in Portugal. He scored 34 goals in 41 games, including a couple against Liverpool in the Champions League.
That convinced Klopp that he was the right man for Liverpool, and the Reds sealed the deal to sign him.
Nunez had a difficult first season in the Premier League – he scored just nine goals and came under a lot of criticism.
The striker was much better in his second season. He ended the campaign with 31 direct goal contributions, which is a very good return considering he only started 33 games.
However, Nunez came under fire again for missing several big chances, and that cost him a place in the starting lineup in the final four games of the season.
Despite all the criticism, Van Dijk thinks Nunez is really difficult to play against – not just for him but for any defender in world football.
He told the Premier League’s official YouTube channel: “Darwin is a handful for any defender. He keeps running, he’s direct.”
READ MORE: Fabrizio Romano says Jurgen Klopp personally stopped Premier League club from signing Darwin Nunez
Big chances missed: Darwin Nunez vs Erling Haaland compared
Manchester City star Erling Haaland is widely regarded as the best striker in the Premier League and perhaps even the world.
The Norwegian moved to the Premier League in the same summer as Nunez, and the two forwards had very different seasons.
Haaland scored 36 goals in the Premier League in the 2022/23 season, while Nunez only managed nine. In the following campaign, the Liverpool man scored 11, while the City superstar scored 27.
However, there is one stat that may surprise you.
In the last two seasons, Haaland has missed a combined 62 big chances in the Premier League, while Nunez has missed 47 (Premier League website).