LONDON – Liverpool has reached a deal with Benfica to buy the Uruguay striker Darwin Nunez for an initial €75 million, the Portuguese club said.
The transfer could eventually rise to €100 million, Benfica said in a statement, eclipsing Liverpool’s club-record £75 million paid to Southampton for Dutch centre-back Virgil van Dijk in 2018.
Nunez scored 26 goals in 28 league appearances last season in Portugal.
The 22-year-old was left out of Uruguay’s squad for Saturday’s 5-0 friendly victory over Panama.
Personal terms are not anticipated to be a problem, with the player having expressed his desire to play for Reds manager Jurgen Klopp despite interest from Manchester United.
Nunez is set to sign a reported six-year contract with Premier League and Champions League runners-up Liverpool, who have been in talks with Benfica for several weeks.
He netted in both legs of Benfica’s Champions League quarter-final defeat against Liverpool in April, earning praise from Klopp.
Nunez is likely to arrive at Anfield as a direct replacement for Sadio Mane after Bayern Munich stepped up their pursuit of the Senegal forward, Reuters reported.
Liverpool has rejected two offers from the Bundesliga champions and are holding out for a fee in excess of £40 million for Mane, who has one year left on his contract.
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