Virgil van Dijk's view on Darwin Nunez as Liverpool step up pursuit of Benfica star

Virgil van Dijk has named Liverpool target Darwin Nunez as one of his toughest opponents.

The Reds are reportedly interested in signing the Benfica striker, 22, after a stellar term. He scored 34 goals and provided four assists in 41 appearances for the Portuguese giants this season, helping them reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Benfica were dumped out of Europe by Liverpool, but Nunez scored in both legs. His strike at the Estadio da Luz was a classic poacher's finish - taking advantage of a defensive mistake - while his goal at Anfield showed his ability to get in behind the back line.

It's believed those performances have persuaded Jurgen Klopp's side to take an interest in Nunez. Benfica have slapped an £85million price tag on 11-cap Uruguay international, who is rated at £49.5m by Transfermarkt and has three years left on his existing deal.

Nunez received a glittering reference from Liverpool defender Van Dijk ahead of their Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid in May. When asked to name his toughest opponents, the Dutchman picked five top strikers - including Nunez.

Van Dijk's list also included Sergio Aguero, Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland. When discussing Nunez, the centre-back said: "He's a bit similar [to Haaland] - very direct, quick, tall, strong and it's quite difficult to play against him."

Gallery: Premier League cast-offs who went on to win the Champions League elsewhere (FourFourTwo)

Liverpool are in danger of losing two talismanic forwards this summer. Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane both have just one year remaining on their existing deals. The latter is the most likely to leave, with Bayern Munich making a £30m offer.

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