Liverpool are close to completing the signing of Uruguay and Benfica star Darwin Nunez but it could've been a different story for the 22-year-old as Brighton came close to snatching his signature.
Prior to his move to Lisbon, Graham Potter's side were keen on the attacker and reportedly saw their £20.4m bid rebuffed by Almeria as he opted for a move to Portugal for £22m - a record signing for the 37-time Portuguese champions.
Nunez's talismanic contributions during his final season in the second tier of Spanish football earned him a move across Europe. His 16 goals in 30 appearances fired Almeria to the promotion playoffs, although ultimately their hopes were scuppered in the semi-final by Girona.
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A tweet from Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor revealed how close the Seagulls came to signing the forward who is now priced in the region of €100m (around £85m).
Since his switch to Benfica, the Uruguayan has scored 47 goals in 84 appearances including two against the Reds during last season's Champions League campaign. His showings across the two legs against Jurgen Klopp's side prompted praise from Virgil van Dijk, he said: "The name of (Erling) Haaland, and also Darwin (Nunez), he’s a bit similar, very direct, quick, tall, strong, and its quite difficult to play against those guys."
Despite Brighton's efforts prior to his move to Lisbon, they reignited their interest last summer but failed to prise him away. Newcastle also saw a January bid rejected as they looked to flaunt their wealth following their takeover.
The Liverpool Echo understands Nunez has become Liverpool's chief target to bolster their forward line. The Reds are waiting for guarantees over the sale of Sadio Mane before progressing the move.
