Written By: Alyssa Wheeler
Edited By: Jovan Popovic
After suffering from lackluster seasons, three top teams across Europe are landing big name forwards.
So far we’ve seen Erling Haaland to Manchester City, Darwin Núñez to Liverpool, and Sadio Mané to Bayern Munich. With the opening of this summer’s transfer window, it seems as though a few teams have been eyeing new forward options to increase their chances of success.
The addition of Erling Haaland to Manchester City has addressed their gap in striker options that came with the departure of Sergio Agüero. Manager Pep Guardiola has tried, to no avail, many tactics to overcome the lack of a clinical finisher on his team. He tried putting big names such as Phil Foden, Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus in the center forward position, with little to no success. He's also tried to play with no center forward at all, but the number of goals scored has been far too little for a team with the depth, talent and financial power that City possess. With playmakers such as Kevin Debruyne and João Cancelo, Haaland will be the perfect addition to Manchester City, and is the clinical finisher they need to succeed. During his time at Dortmund, Haaland has scored an incredible 85 goals in 88 games, as well as 15 goals in 13 Champions League matches. His physical power and finishing ability proves to be the missing piece to Guardiola’s world class side. With this signing comes the hopes of City acquiring more silverware in the upcoming season, including a Champion’s League Title.
Joining Liverpool from Portuguese team, Benfica, Darwin Núñez is another powerhouse striker joining Europe's top league. With an impressive 34 goals throughout his last season, Núñez looks to bring another striking option to a side with impressive depth, but a predictable style. He is unlike the typical striker Liverpool looks to play with. Unlike Roberto Firminho and Diego Jota, Núñez can create a wide array of chances by going 1v1 against a team’s backline, and possesses a pace that both players don't have. He’s very versatile, as he can play as a center striker or out on the wing. This signing will create significant depth for a very exciting Liverpool squad, and allows for players like Thiago to create more chances. The signing of an Uruguayan striker is not foreign to Liverpool, with Liverpool fans hoping Núñez can bring the same magic that Luis Suarez brought in years past
Finally, the signing of Sadio Mané to Bayern Munich came as no surprise. With his contract coming to an end, the winger seemed to have no intentions of resigning with the Reds. Mane has been a sensational player for Liverpool in prior seasons, proving to be one of the highest rated wingers in the Premier League while winning numerous trophies. His arrival to Bayern Munich brings hope that the team can seriously compete for a Champion’s League title after falling short in the past season. This move also looks to make a superstar out of Mané, as his skill in the Bundesliga will be far above many of his opponents. During his time in the Premier League, Mané seems to have been overshadowed by fellow winger Mo Salah, and underrated by the league itself. In moving to Bayern, Mané looks to gain the popularity and praise that his skill deserves. Other big names on the Bayern side should help the Premier League star settle in as well. The likes of Serge Gnabry, Leroy Sane, Thomas Muller, and Alphonso Davies will create a tough side for others in the Bundesliga to compete against. It will also be interesting to see whether or not Robert Lewondsowski will stay with Munich, as he’s commented that he is looking to leave the club. If the standout striker stays with Munich, a link up between him and Mané may prove to be lethal, though if he leaves, it will create room for Mané to become Bayern’s new main man.
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