“This was definitely one of them” – Trent Alexander-Arnold opens up on how Liverpool players reacted to Darwin Nunez transfer rumor 

Trent Alexander-Arnold has given an insight into how Liverpool players reacted to the news that Darwin Nunez could join the club this summer.

The defender said that Nunez was one of the few signings that got the dressing room excited upon getting linked with the club.

The Uruguayan striker was impressive for SL Benfica last season, where he managed to score 34 goals in 41 games across all competitions. Two of those came against the Reds in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.

Nunez scored a goal each in the home and away legs of the last-eight tie against the Merseysiders, which the Eagles lost 6-4 on aggregate. The game left a lasting impression on those watching the Benfica striker from across the battle line.

Speaking to Sky Sports (h/t Mirror), Alexander-Arnold showered praise on Nunez and said that the team knew he was a special player after they came up against him.

"When we played him, we knew he was a special player. He brings goals, scores a lot of goals, gets himself in good positions, will work hard and fight for wins - and that's what we need and what we expect when we bring players in."

According to the England international, this was one of the handful of potential signings that excited the dressing room. He continued:

"That's the club mentality, and I think he will slot in. Over the years, there has been a few signings where, when the club is linked to them, us players get excited and we're like 'Yeah, he will work for us'. This was definitely one of them."

The Premier League outfit eventually signed Nunez for a fee that could rise to a club-record €100 million. The 23-year-old recently scored four goals in 45 minutes in a pre-season friendly against RB Leipzig, which finished 5-0 in Liverpool's favor.

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Darwin Nunez ushers in a new era at Liverpool

Nunez is an out-and-out centre-forward who likes to get in the box to score goals. His playing style is markedly different from that of Roberto Firmino - the player who largely defined Klopp's attacking philosophy at Liverpool.

The Brazilian was deployed as a 'false nine' whereby he dropped deep to create attacking spaces for Liverpool's wingers to exploit. However, Sadio Mane sealed a high-profile transfer to Bayern Munich this summer.

Firmino, meanwhile, is seemingly on the wane and was sparsely used last season. The former Hoffenheim attacker started just 10 league games, primarily due to injuries and is attracting interest from Juventus.

The Reds have spent a pretty penny to sign Nunez and it is expected that the 23-year-old will lead the line with Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah beside him on the flank.

It remains to be seen if Nunez molds his playing style to play in a similar role as Firmino, or if he is given the license to play as a target man.