Liverpool close to signing Darwin Nunez from Benfica
Liverpool are close to signing Uruguay striker Darwin Nunez from Portuguese club Benfica.
The deal is expected to be worth an initial £64m with about £21m in add-ons.
Darwin Nunez, 22, scored 34 times in 41 appearances across all competitions for Benfica last season.
He also scored twice against Liverpool as Benfica were beaten 6-4 across two legs by the Reds in the Champions League quarter-finals.
After their second meeting, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp predicted Nunez had “a big career ahead of him”, describing him as “physically strong, quick, [and] calm around his finish”.
A medical has yet to take place but it is believed Liverpool sporting director Julian Ward was in Portugal over the weekend to hold talks.
Premier League rivals Manchester United were reportedly also interested in signing Nunez, who cost Benfica 24m euros (£20.5m) when he signed from Spanish side Almeria in 2020.
Nunez scored six times in 10 Champions League games last term, while he managed 26 goals and four assists in 28 league matches.
Liverpool’s record transfer is the £75m paid for centre-back Virgil van Dijk following his transfer from Southampton in 2018 and this could surpass that depending on the amount of the add-ons.
Follow AyeyiBruce on Facebook for more updates
