Liverpool’s opening bid for Darwin Nunez would break their transfer record should it be accepted.
That’s according to Record, who report that The Reds have now made an offer of around £85m to Benfica for the forward.
Liverpool are claimed to be ‘desperate’ to sign Nunez, with Jurgen Klopp reportedly ‘crazy’ about him.
It’s written that Nunez, for his part, has already informed Benfica of his intention to be at Liverpool next season.
Assessing the price-tag
It’s a little difficult to believe that Liverpool have made such a bold opening play for Nunez.
The interest appears to be genuine. But after reports that Liverpool won’t pay over the odds for the 22-year-old, this offer seems rather high.
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Perhaps that’s the going rate though. There are other clubs hovering around Nunez, most notably Manchester United.
If Liverpool are convinced that Nunez is the right man to fill Sadio Mane’s boots, then it was always going to take something special to land him.
They have reportedly identified him as being capable of having the same impact as Luis Diaz in the Premier League (90min). If that’s the case, then it’s definitely worth making a serious effort to sign him.
Cheaper alternatives available
Knowing Liverpool’s transfer strategy, you would think that £85m would be the absolute top end of what they’d offer.
The Reds reportedly have a list of ‘cheaper alternatives’ to Nunez. Should Benfica be looking for more than the £85m reported, surely Liverpool would then turn to that list.
One such name on that particular pile could be Christian Pulisic. The Chelsea man would reportedly cost around two thirds of the price quoted here for Darwin.
The American might not quite instil the same level of excitement as Nunez would. But there’s a genuine chance he could join as he looks to light a fire under his career.