The move to sign Darwin Nunez for Liverpool is reaching an 'advanced' stage with the club reportedly having agreed a fee with Benfica to sign the Uruguayan international for £68 million + £25 million in add ons.
The deal is being widely reported in the Portuguese media, with personal terms to be agreed on a potential five year contract which could be finalised as early as this weekend. The deal in its entirety would eclipse the £75 million deal for Virgil van Dijk in 2018, making it potentially the Reds' record transfer.
The deal could well be funded by a move for Sadio Mane to Bayern Munich, with the Senegal international reportedly wanting a move away from Anfield this summer. However, Liverpool have reportedly rejected a bid from the German champions after the £30 million offered was deemed a 'joke'.
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The record deal will spark some excitement among Reds fans, but one former player has raised questions over the fee, while also saying that the Uruguay international would be 'perfect for Liverpool. Steve Nicol, who made over 300 appearances for the club was speaking to ESPN FC when he made the comments.
He said: "Not (worth) €100m, every single thing that he does is perfect for Liverpool, the way he chases people down, the way he runs in behind, he’s a workhorse.
"I’m not talking about ability because we know he can score goals and hold the ball up, so absolutely I’d love him at Liverpool but I think he’s another €50m that they paid for Mane and Firmino and Salah, he’s in that range for me. It’s a big step up, he’s not €100m, maybe you do half of it with some add-ons but I’d like to see him at Liverpool."
Nicol also commented on the future of Sadio Mane, who reportedly has asked to leave the club this summer after six years at the club, saying that they should wait for Bayern to come back with a fee of £40 million before they decide to sell. He said: "I think they should sell him, if they can get £40m for him, I think you take it.
"You’re almost getting what you paid for him and look what he’s done for you. As I’ve said previously, you can’t keep everyone happy when their contract is coming down, there’s just not enough money so you have to make decisions. The fact you’ve still got Salah, Jota, Diaz, you’ve still got Firmino, probably need to replace him, makes it a lot easier to say ‘okay we’ll take £40m for Mane."
