Chelsea striker target Darwin Nunez’s price tag revealed

Darwin Nunez has been a standout player for Benfica this season. The Uruguayan striker has managed to score 34 goals in all competitions for the Portuguese side, which has led to some looks from some of Europe’s top clubs. Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Chelsea Manchester United and Newcastle (just to name a few of the suitors) have all expressed interest in signing the 22-year-old after a serious uptick in form throughout the season.

His eye for goal has put him on the radar of many European clubs looking for a striker in good form to lead their line. The talented striker scored six goals in 10 appearances this season in the Champions League with Benfica, including a goal a piece in its tie against Liverpool. Despite missing some games this season due to knee injury, he scored more than 30 goals and registered four assists in 41 appearances, that’s 38 goal involvements in 41 games. Only few players in all of Europe found the net more than the youngster, leading to a lot of inquires with his parent club. Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano claims that Nunez is valued at £64 to 68 million, and the Blues seem to be amongst the host of clubs willing to break the bank for him.

The price for Chelsea target Darwin Nunez has been named ahead of summer

Nunez though will not be a cheap pick for whichever lucky club earns his signature. Romano has gone on record estimating that the Uruguay international will cost between €75 and €80 million (£64 million and £68 million), even though Transfermarkt values him at just £40 million right now. Plenty of teams will be participating in what could be a difficult transfer war for one of the best up and coming strikers in the European game.

At the end of the day, the most important issue here is whether this price takes the Blues out of the running. Should Chelsea go all out for Nunez this summer? For the past few seasons, it has made significant investments in forwards. The Blues brought in Romelu Lukaku from Inter Milan for a club-record £97.5 million after they had won the Champions League the previous season. Just one year before that, Timo Werner arrived from German side RB Leipzig and Kai Havertz came over from Bayer Leverkusen. In this situation, it would be wise for the board to analyze whether or not it is really necessary to sign Nunez considering the hefty price tag placed on him from Benfica.

In addition to the aforementioned trio, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech are the players who are already in the Blues’ ranks up top. Mason Mount has also played primarily as a winger since Tuchel’s arrival in January 2021. Buying another striker and keeping every forward would definitely not be the best decision  to make, especially in a rebuilding period. This is also the case considering that many of the players up front struggled for playing time. It doesn’t make financial sense either, unless Chelsea can be certain that any investment is a signing that will lead the front line for years to come.

Everything now lies in the hands of both Tuchel and the club’s new board. The futures of the attackers, particularly Lukaku, are of a high importance heading into the summer. The Belgian was brought in from Italy last summer to improve the Blues’ attack, but he did anything but that during his second debut campaign. Since his return to England, he has struggled to prove his worth and impress Tuchel enough to make the starting XI on a consistent basis. Nunez is a great striker and many fans would love to see him in west London next season, but in the current situation, adding another striker wouldn’t be a wise decision if Lukaku plans to stay.

The ex-Inter Milan man will definitely fancy another chance in SW6, even though rumours are reportedly stating otherwise and linking him to a move back to Italy. It’s to predict what happens next season and whether or not Lukaku will recapture his form. Nevertheless, is Chelsea preparing to wait and find that out for itself or will it not want to risk another season like this one and go all out for a proven goal-scorer? The answer will become clearer once the transfer window opens.

Do you think Nunez would be an excellent addition to the Blues’ ranks or is it worth risking another season with Lukaku? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or on Twitter!