1.
He grew up in poverty
Right now, Nunez can afford pretty much whatever he wants.
But about a decade ago, the story was very different.
He grew up in a very poor neighborhood in Artigas, Uruguay.
His father was a construction worker, while his mom sold bottles to try and make ends
meet.
He and his brother would very often go to bed hungry.
But according to Darwin himself, it was his mom who would go hungry more often just to
make sure that he and his brother had something to eat every now and then.
Growing up was generally very difficult for him.
Apart from not being able to afford basic necessities, the area where they lived was
so prone to flooding.
So, whenever it rained heavily, they would lose valuable properties and probably not
be able to sleep in their home for days.
Things only began to look up for him when he found football as a teenager.
2.
He is from a footballing family
Darwin is not the only one in the family with a knack for football.
His older brother, Junior Nunez, was also a professional footballer.
He played in Uruguay until he quit the sport some years back.
3.
His brother sacrificed his career for him
Junior Nunez got into football before Darwin did.
The brothers would train together when they were just teenagers, and they both made it
to the same club in Uruguay.
But at that time, football wasn’t yet profitable for them.
And considering that their parents’ joint income was not enough to feed the family,
not to talk of buying football essentials for the boys, Junior decided to sacrifice
his dreams of being a footballer to go find a job to help support the family.
He told Darwin that he could make it in football so he should keep working at it.
Essentially, he gave up his own dream just so his younger brother could go ahead to live
his dream.
What a great sacrifice!
4.
He very nearly quit
Back in 2017, Nunez was still an unknown youngster doing his thing at Penarol, a club in Uruguay.
He was working hard at improving his game and he was determined to achieve his dream
of playing on the big European stage.
But it seemed like his dream was going to be cut short at just 19 years of age.
He suffered a serious injury to his knee which kept him out for about 9 months.
He got the injury in February of 2017, and that delayed his senior team debut till November
of that year.
But unfortunately, things got worse for Nunez after his debut.
In December, the teenager had to have surgery on that same knee, and that kept him out for
a further 6 months.
It was a very difficult time for the teenage boy, and he strongly considered quitting.
He confessed that the period he had that series of injuries, he considered quitting football.
But his family and teammates were very supportive and kept encouraging him to just keep working
In 2019, Nunez finally secured a move to Europe.
And guess where he was headed.
Spain!
He was signed by Almeria and immediately given a 5-year deal.
The Spanish club knew how good he was.
While he was in Spain, his fellow countryman, Luis Suarez, who was with Barcelona at the
time, was doing some agency work for him.
He told the Catalan club about how good Almeria’s new boy was and insisted that they sign him.
But Barcelona, who were going through a financial crisis at the time, passed on the offer.
Well, it may not have been a very wise decision, as the lad was going for just about 20 million
euros back then.
He is on track to break transfer records
Nunez, who already broke Benfica’s transfer record when he was bought for 24 million euros
in 2020, is currently valued at over a hundred million euros.
He is a target for many big clubs in Europe including Chelsea, Arsenal, and Manchester
United, and rumors are that he will almost certainly be leaving Benfica at the end of
the 2021/22 season.
Darwin is currently on course to be the most expensive Uruguayan footballer in history.
And perhaps, more notably, his former coach, Jorge Jesus, tips him to break Joao Felix’s
record to become the most expensive sale in Benfica’s history.
Just in case you don’t remember, Atletico Madrid paid 126 million euros for Joao Felix
in 2019.
So, as far as Jorge Jesus is concerned, Nunez could be bought for 127 million euros or more.
Do you think that will happen?
Let us know what you think.
7.
Cavani comparisons
Cavani is one of the great strikers of his generation, so being compared to him must
be a great honor for young Darwin Nunez.
see that there is a physical resemblance between them.
You see it, don’t you?
become a legend of the game.
8.
He is a family man
Back when Nunez was struggling with injuries and thinking of quitting football, it was
his family that helped him get through and gave him motivation.
He particularly talked about his little nephew who was with him at the hospital and was a
real source of strength for him.
When he secured a move to Europe, one of the only things on his mind was building a house
for his parents and his brother who have all sacrificed so much for him.
Years later, on the 3rd of January, 2022, he welcomed his own son with girlfriend, Lorena
Mañas.
The little boy is named after his father.
9.
He could have ended up in Brighton or Southampton
When he was at Almeria, so many clubs could see how good Nunez was, and they all wanted
to bring him over to their clubs.
He was sought after by clubs like Leipzig and Napoli, but at the point, it seemed like
Premier League clubs Southampton and Brighton were leading the race for his signature.
Anyway, a certain club from Portugal came in and won the bid for the youngster, and
well, the rest as they say, is history.
10.
He loves the waters
When he isn’t on the football pitch playing or training, Darwin Nunez loves to go out
and chill in and around the water.
If he’s not swimming, he’s jet skiing, or flyboarding.
Anyway, with many big clubs around Europe battling for Darwin Nunez, who do you think
is going to win the race for his signature?
And how much do you think they are going to spend to get the Uruguayan wonderkid?
Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
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