Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk had a key role in bringing in Uruguayan forward Darwin Nunez, according to The Times.
The forward, whose deal is set to be confirmed in the coming days, faced the Reds in the UEFA Champions League Quarter-Final with Benfica this season.
He will join the Reds for a fee of £68m rising to £85m based on performance and appearance-related bonuses.
According to The Times’ reporter, Nunez was convinced by both Van Dijk and manager Jurgen Klopp to come to Anfield from conversations that took place during the two matches they faced each other in.
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The Dutch central defender also paid homage to the forward whilst being interviewed by Rio Ferdinand on BT Sport.
“I’ve played against Sergio Aguero, who was obviously unbelievable. (Lionel) Messi, arguably the best player in the history of football, in my opinion,” the Dutchman told Rio Ferdinand prior to the Champions League final last month.
“(Kylian) Mbappe is different, quick… (Erling) Haaland, also Darwin (Nunez). He's a bit similar, very direct and quick, tall and strong. It’s quite difficult to play against those guys.”
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The 11-time capped international had a brilliant season in the Benfica Red, scoring 34 goals in 41 appearances in all competitions. This includes 6 goals in 10 Champions League appearances, so the pedigree is there and explains the substantial interest in him from multitudes of Europe’s elite.
Jurgen Klopp has also raved about the striker, speaking after the games in April.
“An extremely good looking boy, eh? He is a really good boy,” said Klopp. “He played in front of me battling against [Ibrahima] Konate. He was calm for the finish.
“He is good, really good. If he stays healthy, he has a big career ahead of him”.
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He will fly to Liverpool to complete his medical in the coming days, with the deal expected to last until 2028.
Topics: Virgil Van Dijk, Liverpool Transfer News & Rumours, Liverpool, Darwin Nunez
Chris Stonadge