Arsenal legend Ian Wright has already given his verdict on Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez.
Arsenal have been linked with a plethora of strikers throughout this summer transfer window, but as things stand, Mikel Arteta is yet to bolster his attacking contingent.
Rumours linking Darwin Nunez with Arsenal have now emerged, generating speculation about whether the Gunners might launch a bid for the Uruguayan forward.
It would certainly be a headline-grabbing move if Arsenal were to prise the 25-year-old away from Anfield before the transfer window closes at 11pm on Friday.
There is no doubting that Nunez is a supremely talented player, capable of the spectacular, but he has now been able to impress consistently across his two full seasons on Merseyside so far.
For all of his physical prowess, flair, and raw talent, he can be guilty of lapses in concentration, frustrating inconsistency, and glaring misses in front of goal.
Arsenal icon Ian Wright’s verdict on Darwin Nunez
Despite these flaws in the 29-cap Uruguay international’s game, Ian Wright is convinced that Nunez is a player worth persisting with.
As far as the former Arsenal striker is concerned, if the Liverpool man is persistently supplied with the kind of service he thrives on then he will score goals.
Speaking to Sky Sports back in March of this year, Wright urged Nunez’s Liverpool teammates to focus their efforts on getting the ball to him quickly, whilst also admitting that he would make the striker the true focal point of the Red’s attacking strategy.
He said: “With Nunez, like I say, I’d never take him off, especially at Anfield… Look what he can do… Speak to Harvey Elliot and say ‘listen Harvey, when you get that ball, you don’t even need to look… Just put it over there.’ I used to say that to Dicko [Lee Dixon], I used to say that to Nigel [Winterburn], John Jensen, ‘don’t even look… just put it in there.”
Clearly, Wright feels that the secret to unlocking Nunez’s potential is persistence, by keeping him on the pitch and repeatedly seeking to supply him with opportunities.
Would Darwin Nunez shine under Mikel Arteta?
Arteta backs himself to be able to polish rough diamonds. Kai Havertz was called the worst signing of the summer when he was brought to the Emirates Stadium last year. However, the Arsenal manager has found a way to coax the best out of the German.
Arteta will be convinced that he could do the same with Nunez, setting up his side in such a way as to help the striker shine.
However, the fact is that in Havertz and Gabriel Jesus, Arsenal already have two strikers who can be incredibly wayward with their finishing. Adding a third to that list in the form on Nunez, at a time when the Gunners are crying out for a truly clinical goalscorer, would surely provoke consternation.
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