Liverpool told cost of thrilling third deal with Luis Diaz fee to be surpassed

A Liverpool deal to sign Darwin Nunez won’t come cheap after a report shed light on the next big star from Portugal poised to leave.

Portugal has proved a happy hunting ground for the Premier League’s big hitters in recent years. Man Utd landed Bruno Fernandes from Sporting Lisbon, while Man City signed Ruben Dias from Benfica. Both players have become elite performers in Manchester, and Luis Diaz is expected to walk that same path in Liverpool.

The Colombian arrived for an initial £37.5m from FC Porto last month. That deal could rise to £50m, but Diaz’s early outings suggest Liverpool have pulled off yet another masterstroke.

Diaz could conceivably be viewed as the long-term successor to Sadio Mane. Similarly, Diogo Jota – signed 18 months ago from Wolves – has already taken the regular starting role at centre-forward from Roberto Firmino.

Mane and Firmino – along with Mohamed Salah – are all out of contract in the summer of 2023. It’s still possible all three could stay and sign contract extensions. However Liverpool’s recent transfer business would suggest they are preparing for the next phase in the final third.

West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen continues to be linked with the Reds. However, signing the 25-year-old could require the club to break their transfer record – currently held by Virgil van Dijk at £75m.

A slightly cheaper option has made the rounds in the form of Benfica’s Nunez.

The 22-year-old was the subject of a West Ham bid believed to be in the region of £40m last month. Benfica stood firm, though Newcastle and now Liverpool are in the mix ahead of a potential summer move.

Now, Sport Witness (citing Portuguese outlet O Jogo), shed light on Nunez’s future.

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