Liverpool FC have reached a verbal agreement with Benfica to sign Darwin Nunez in a guaranteed €80m (£68.3m) deal this summer, according to a report in England.
The Guardian is reporting that the FA Cup winners have reached an agreement with Benfica about the transfer fee and overall financial package for Nunez.
The same article states that Liverpool FC are set to pay an initial fee of €80m (£68.3m) plus a further €20m (£17.1m) in add-ons to potentially surpass the £75m that the Reds paid for club-record signing Virgil van Dijk in 2017.
According to the same story, the Merseyside outfit have decided to move quickly to wrap up a deal for Nunez amid reported interest from their bitter rivals Manchester United.
The Guardian go on to reveal that the 22-year-old will put pen to paper on a five-year deal with Liverpool FC and will become a key member of Jurgen Klopp’s squad.
The newspaper report says that Sadio Mane is likely to leave Liverpool FC and join Bayern Munich if Nunez’s transfer to Anfield goes through as anticipated.
Liverpool FC are looking to secure a £40m transfer fee for Mane to offset their outlay on Nunez, according to the report.
Nunez, who has been strongly linked with a transfer to Anfield in recent days, has netted 48 times in 85 games in all competitions over the past two seasons at Benfica.
Last season, he caught the eye by scoring 32 goals and making four assists in 39 games in all competitions for the Portuguese club, averaging an impressive 0.82 goals per match across the campaign.
The Uruguay international has netted twice in 11 games for his national team since making his debut in 2019.