Liverpool have reached a verbal agreement to buy Darwin Núñez from Benfica and are preparing the paperwork to compete the deal. They will pay a guaranteed €80m (£68.3m) for the striker and up to another €20m in add-ons, meaning the Uruguayan could become their record signing.
Virgil van Dijk’s £75m fee is the biggest paid by Liverpool, who have acted decisively over Núñez in the face of interest from Manchester United. Núñez was the top scorer in Portugal in the 2021-22 season with 26 league goals and scored 34 in total, including two against Liverpool in the Champions League.
The 22-year-old is poised to sign a five-year deal and become the second South American bought by Jürgen Klopp inside five months to refresh his attack. Luis Díaz arrived from another Portuguese club, Porto, for an initial €40m, rising to a possible €60m, and the Colombian has made an instant impact.
If the Núñez deal is wrapped up as expected, it will increase the likelihood of Sadio Mané getting his wish to join Bayern Munich. Liverpool have rejected two Bayern bids, the second worth up to £30m, but talks continue. Liverpool want more than £40m for Mané, who is 30 and has a year left on his contract.
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