26 goals last season: Darwin Nunez 2.0 could be coming to Liverpool

The next-gen Darwin Nunez may be on his way to Liverpool. The Reds are looking into a deal.

Liverpool need to find a new goalscorer. It's not, however, a routine proposition given the makeup of this squad.

Mohamed Salah needs replacing, certainly, and Liverpool lacked production from out wide even before his exit. A winger will be a priority.

However, top-target Yan Diomande said no and now the Reds are shopping in a sub-par market. It means that finding a 'tide over' option who can see Liverpool through another season before reassessing makes a lot of sense, especially if a bargain can be found.

Liverpool will want an option with potential and who could play more of a squad role, rather than a leading man. Exactly who ticks those boxes, however, will be hotly debated.

But they may have found one from outside the box. Ideal reports that Liverpool are in the mix for Almeria forward Sergio Arribas.

Arribas is 24 and can play behind the striker or on the right. So far, so good. He also scored 24 league goals last season and provided another seven assists.

It's a magnificent return but here's the catch: it came for Almeria in the Segunda División, Spain's second flight. Exactly what that's worth isn't immediate obvious, though we'd still argue that Arribas is worth considering.

He's also following in the footsteps of former Liverpool forward Darwin Nunez. Nunez's breakout season came with Almeria in the Segunda, where he scored 16 goals in 30 and earned a move to Benfica after one year.

Arribas, then, is of the same mould. Even if he's older than Nunez was at the time, he does boast significantly better numbers than the Uruguayan.

So we know that players can make the jump from Spain's Segunda and impact the game at the elite level. And if Liverpool find a bargain who can deliver Nunez-esque numbers, they'll consider it a fantastic success in this market.

Arribas may well be that bargain. One to keep an eye on.