Liverpool have made a bid worth £68 million plus £17 million in add-ons for Benfica forward Darwin Nunez, according to reports
Portuguese journalist Pedro Sepúlveda claims the Reds have made the above offer to bring the highly-rated Uruguay international to Anfield, which would in-turn smash the club’s record transfer of £75 million for Virgil van Dijk.
He confirmed this in response to reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano’s original post.
Nunez has been subject of interest for many clubs across Europe, with Liverpool, Manchester United and Newcastle United the main admirers of the forward.
He scored 26 goals in 28 league matches this campaign and bagged six in Europe’s premier competition, the UEFA Champions League.
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Manager Jurgen Klopp is said to be ‘crazy’ about the player. After the two met in the quarter-final of the Champions League this season, the German made some complimentary comments about the 22-year-old.
"Extremely good-looking boy. Really good, really good," Klopp beamed. "He played pretty much in front of me, with his tough battles with Ibou Konate.
"Physically strong, quick, was calm with his finish. If he stays healthy, it's a big career ahead of him."
Nunez is expected to sign at a similar time to the departure of Sadio Mane, who will likely join Bayern Munich this week.
The Reds rejected a £30m bid a few days ago, but it is thought the two clubs will reach a compromise along the lines of Liverpool’s £42.5m asking price.
As a direct replacement, Nunez provides a very different skill set than the Senegalese international, but he is almost a guaranteed source of goals and has the potential to improve at just 22.
As the hours go by, it is looking more likely that the former Almeria player will be announced in the very near future.
The fee is extravagant by Liverpool’s standards, but under Jurgen Klopp’s tutelage, it could be an extremely exciting season for Nunez.
Chris Stonadge