Liverpool reach ‘verbal agreement’ to sign Darwin Nunez from Benfica

Liverpool have reached a verbal agreement to sign Benfica striker Darwin Nunez and are preparing the paperwork to finalise the deal.

According to the Guardian, the Reds will pay a guaranteed €80 million for Nunez and up to another €20m in add-on clauses.

The 22-year-old will reportedly sign a five-year deal to become the focal point of Liverpool’s attack next season.

With Liverpool set to secure Nunez’s services, the futures of Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino are up in the air.

Mane has been linked with Bayern Munich, although the Bundesliga club are yet to meet Liverpool’s demands for the forward.

Salah also faces an uncertain future, with the Reds unable to agree a new deal with the Egyptian.

Nunez’s arrival at Anfield would also cast doubt over Firmino’s future, with the Uruguayan guaranteed to be a regular starter for Liverpool.

He joined Benfica in September 2020 and has since netted 48 goals in 85 appearances for the Portuguese club.

Nunez was also wanted by Manchester United, but it appears the lure of Champions League football has proved too tempting to resist.

While there has been plenty of interest in Nunez this summer, not everyone is convinced he will be a successful Premier League transfer.

Portuguese football expert Pedro Sepulveda questioned whether the Benfica star possesses the mental fortitude to cope with the rigours of English football.

However, Liverpool are clearly confident that he will be able to carry their goalscoring burden over the next few years.

With Salah, Mane and Firmino all reaching the latter stages of their careers, the Reds need to bring in younger options up front.

Their acquisition of Luis Diaz from Porto in January has already paid dividends and linking him up with Nunez is an exciting proposition.

If Liverpool can agree a new deal with Salah, they would potentially have one of the most dynamic attacking trios in Europe.