Liverpool open talks to beat Manchester United to Darwin Nunez transfer as Benfica set £85m asking price

Liverpool have opened talks with Benfica over a £85million move to sign Uruguay striker Darwin Nunez.

The 23-year-old netted 34 times last season and is among one of the most coveted players in Europe following two years in Portugal.

With Sadio Mane expected to leave Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp wants to sign a replacement before he sanctions the Senegalese’s departure.

Manchester United had been targeting Nunez but the Daily Mail say Liverpool have initiated talks with Benfica and that the forward would prefer a move to Anfield.

Nunez scored home and away against Liverpool last season and Klopp couldn’t hide his admiration for the forward after the quarter-final Champions League tie.

‘Extremely good looking boy, huh?’ said Klopp. ‘And a decent player as well. Really good, really good. I knew before, of course, but he played pretty much in front of me with his tough battles with Ibrahima Konate.

‘He was physically strong, quick, was calm around his finish. Good, really good. I always say in these situations if he is healthy, it’s a big career ahead of him.’

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Benfica paid around £19m for Nunez in 2020 and his former club, Almeria, are due a 20% sell-on fee from his departure.

The Portuguese club are therefore seeking around £85m for Nunez’s signature and that would smash Liverpool’s transfer record, which remains the £75m they paid for Virgil van Dijk in 2018.

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