Man Utd have 'initiated contact' over bringing £51m striker to Old Trafford

Manchester United have ‘initiated contact’ with Benfica over star striker Darwin Nunez, according to Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor.

The 22-year-old has been linked with a host of top teams from around Europe after enjoying an outstanding season with the Portuguese giants.

David Ornstein of The Athletic revealed that United, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain were leading the charge for Nunez’s signature last month as they all look to reinforce their forward lines.

And the transfer expert provided an update on the Uruguay international’s situation recently, claiming his price tag may actually be significantly lower than first believed.

Ornstein originally reported that Nunez would cost any potential suitor in the region of €70 million (£58.2m), but that figure has now dropped to €60m (£50.6m).

However, tempting the South American to Old Trafford may prove to be difficult for incoming manager Erik ten Hag.

TalkSPORT reporter Alex Crook has previously informed GiveMeSport that Nunez wants to move to a club in the Champions League next term, and with United facing a season outside of Europe’s elite cup competition, they may be out of the running.

Taylor has claimed that Nunez is ‘definitely’ a player that United admire and that the club’s hierarchy have already made efforts to discover how much he would cost.

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He told GiveMeSport: “I do sort of question where United’s priorities lie; it’s probably a striker to help Ronaldo.

“So, Darwin Nunez, I know he’s a player definitely that United like, and they’ve initiated contact with Benfica and his agent to sort of gauge what kind of price tag would be enough to get him.”

Former Real Madrid winger Steve