Liverpool agree club record £85m transfer fee for Benfica striker Darwin Nunez
Liverpool have agreed a £85m deal to make Benfica striker Darwin Nunez their record signing, the Portuguese club have confirmed.
The Premier League team will pay a guaranteed £64m, plus additional performance-related fees up to a maximum of £21m.
Uruguay international Nunez, who scored 34 goals in 41 games last season, is due to undergo medical tests today before completing the move.
Benfica announced that they had reached a deal with Liverpool in a statement to the Portuguese stock exchange early this morning.
“In the early morning hours of this Monday (0:44 am), Sport Lisboa e Benfica – Futebol, SAD informed the Securities Market Commission (CMVM) that it had reached an agreement with Liverpool FC for the sale of all rights to the player Darwin Nunez, for the amount of 75 million euros,” the club said.
“To the CMVM, Benfica’s SAD also informed that ‘the agreement provides for the payment of a variable remuneration, so the global amount of the sale could reach the amount of 100 million euros’.
“‘It is further informed that the aforementioned agreement is dependent on the signing of the player’s sports employment contract with Liverpool FC’, it is further explained in the official document.”
Liverpool saw off interest from rival clubs, including Manchester United, to win the race for the 22-year-old.
Nunez has become one of Europe’s hottest properties since moving to Benfica from Spanish side Almeria for £20m two years ago.
As well as scoring 26 times in 28 league games last season, he struck six times in 10 appearances in the Champions League – including against Liverpool.
Provided Nunez and Liverpool hit certain performance targets, he will cost more than the £75m that the Anfield club paid Southampton for defender Virgil van Dijk in 2018.
His arrival looks likely to pave the way for Liverpool forward Sadio Mane to leave Merseyside, with Bayern Munich his expected destination.
The German champions have had two bids rejected for Mane, who has refused to sign a new Liverpool contract.
Nunez’s signing will mean that both Liverpool and Premier League title rivals Manchester City have signed centre-forwards this summer.
City beat Real Madrid to the signing of prolific Borussia Dortmund and Norway No9 Erling Haaland.