Liverpool are closing in on the signing of Benfica striker Darwin Núñez, in a package worth a total €100million. The Reds will pay €75m upfront for the player with up to €25m in add-ons.
Núñez joined the Portuguese outfit in 2020 for a club record €25m fee, and now the Uruguayan forward is on the verge of becoming Liverpool’s record purchase for four times that figure.
Darwin Nunez deal: £64m initial fee (75m euros), add-ons of £12.8m on appearances and £8.5m on team success. Liverpool preparing medical tomorrow in expectation everything finalised today. Nunez currently in Madrid and would sign a six year deal. https://t.co/AydhXtpOWT
— paul joyce (@_pauljoyce) June 12, 2022
Núñez left boyhood club Peñarol in 2019 when he completed a €15m switch to Spanish side Almería. Now, ahead of his 23rd birthday this month, he has reportedly agreed personal terms on a six-year contract at Anfield with the deal set to be concluded in the coming days.
He becomes the fourth player subject to a nine-figure move to the Premier League. Paul Pogba re-signed for Manchester United for €105m in 2016, before Romelu Lukaku rejoined Chelsea (€110m) and Jack Grealish signed for Manchester City (€116m) last summer.
Núñez has registered 47 goals in 84 outings in Benfica colours, including 34 goals in 41 appearances (all competitions) this past season. His 26 strikes in the Portuguese top-flight won Núñez the 2021/22 Bola de Prata (top scorer award) and it was also the most goals scored in the Primeira Liga across the last four campaigns.
Núñez was twice on the scoresheet against his soon-to-be employers when Benfica met Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals in April. He found the net at the Estádio da Luz and later at Anfield, earning plaudits from Jürgen Klopp who praised the attacker’s qualities in strength, pace and composure.
Among Europe’s top five domestic leagues only Robert Lewandowski (35), Kylian Mbappe (28), Karim Benzema and Ciro Immobile (both 27) scored more league goals than Núñez during the recently-concluded season.
(Photo by Carlos Costa/AFP via Getty Images)
The 22-year-old changed agents in April with intentions of securing a switch to the Premier League this summer. His new agency, Gestifute, is led by superagent Jorge Mendes who also represents several other top talents including Cristiano Ronaldo as well as Liverpool’s Diogo Jota and Fabinho. Manchester City’s Portuguese trio of Bernardo Silva, João Cancelo and Ruben Dias are also signed to Gestifute.
Since making his international debut in 2019 Núñez has earned 11 caps and scored twice for Uruguay. He was omitted from the squad which faced Panama on Saturday as he left the national team camp to finalise his transfer to Liverpool.
Núñez will be Liverpool’s second summer acquisition after they bought 19-year-old attacking midfielder Fabio Carvalho from Fulham, costing €5m.
(Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
Sadio Mané has made clear his desire to leave Liverpool after six years on Merseyside. Mané, 30, is linked with German champions Bayern Munich who in turn are set to lose out on Robert Lewandowski, with the Polish striker seeking a new challenge away from the Bundesliga.
The summer transfer window has officially been open barely 72 hours yet both Liverpool and Man City have already invested heavily in new attacking options, as the Premier League champions completed the €75m signing of Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund.
