Virgil van Dijk has already issued Darwin Nunez warning to Liverpool teammates

Virgil van Dijk has already warned his Liverpool teammate about the monstrous challenge of facing club-record signing Darwin Nunez in training.

The Reds' new recruit - poached from Benfica for an eye-watering £85million - has not yet linked up with Jurgen Klopp's squad for pre-season after being on international duty with Uruguay last month. But after the words of Van Dijk after Liverpool's meeting with Benfica last term, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is already bracing himself for when Nunez walks through the doors of their training complex in Kirby.

Speaking to Liverpool's website upon returning to Merseyside, the midfielder explained he's looking forward to seeing his new Uruguayan teammate up close, declaring: "I think obviously Darwin, we played against and saw him first hand and I think everything that we saw in those games… he reminded me a little bit of Luis [Diaz] when we played against him when he was at Porto.

"He's that sort of a player that you know what you are going to get from - the athleticism, the speed, the strength, the power - and it was the same with him. I remember having to chase Luis back at Anfield at one point and he made me stick it into fifth gear and then try to find sixth to keep up with him!

"You sort of remember those things and when he walked through the door that was the first thing I remembered - don't try to get in a race with him if I'm expecting to win! I think Darwin would be the same. I think Virgil said first hand and Ibou [Ibrahima Konate] said as well how quick and strong he was.

"I think he had that confidence and swagger about him as well and I think as a striker, as a forward player, you sort of need to have that confidence to go and do good things and lead the team from up there."

Join the debate! How many goals will Nunez score for Liverpool in 22/23? Give us your prediction in the comments section.

A long-term target for Klopp and co, the Reds fought of competition from Manchester United to secure the 23-year-old's signature. Nunez netted 34 goals in all competitions last season, including two against Liverpool in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Klopp notably praised the striker ahead of both matches and would get his hands on him just two months later. "Darwin is a wonderful player; already really good but so much potential to get even better," the Reds boss told liverpoolfc.com.

"That's why it's so exciting, to be honest. His age, his desire, his hunger to be even better than he currently is. His belief in our project and what we are looking to do as a club."