Liverpool have announced the signing of Darwin Núñez from Benfica for a fee that could reach £ 85 million.
The Uruguayan international, who will turn 23 next week, was Portugal’s top scorer in the top flight last season with 26 goals and a total of 34 goals, including one in each stage of the quarter-finals of the Champions League. of Benfica with Liverpool.
His arrival with a six-year contract should pave the way for Sadio Mané to join Bayern Munich. Talks continue about the transfer of the Senegalese striker who has indicated that he wants a new challenge.
Núñez’s starting fee will be £ 64 million, but that fee could rise to £ 85 million if he achieves certain milestones in his Liverpool career, including winning the Champions League. The signature is subject to international authorization and approval of the work permit.
Liverpool see the signing as a statement of intent in their bid to challenge Manchester City for the Premier League title and are one more feather in the cap for new sporting director Julian Ward, who moved quickly to avoid the interest of Manchester United.
Ward, who has been left vacant by influential Michael Edwards, was a key player in hiring Luis Diaz in January and the club believe that making the deal in advance will allow Núñez to settle in and enjoy ‘a full preseason.
The striker, who is expected to earn £ 140,000 a week at Anfield, told the club’s official website: “I’m very happy and delighted to be here at Liverpool. It’s a massive club.
Darwin Núñez will wear the number 27 shirt left vacant by Divock Origi, bound for Milan. Photo: Nick Taylor / Liverpool FC / Getty Images
“I would like to thank my partner and my parents and my son, which is a real pride for me. They have been very important to me in the early stages of my career. I am very proud of them, and for the work we do, me and my partner, as a team and I thank them for being here.
“It’s a pleasure to be here in Liverpool and I’m very happy to be part of this great club. I’ve played against Liverpool and seen them in a lot of Champions League games, and that’s my style of play. There are great players here and I think it will suit my style of play here.
“As I say, I’ve seen a lot and it’s a very big club and I hope to be able to give everything I have to help the team.”
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Núñez will wear the number 27 shirt of Liverpool and will become the third Uruguayan to sign for the club, after Luis Suárez and Sebastián Coates.
“When I got to the training camp, I was very surprised to see the setup and structure and all the trophies here,” he added. “Then you can imagine winning more trophies and later, when you come back here and see the trophies on display, you can say, ‘Look, I was part of that, I was there at the time, winning trophies.’
“That’s one of the reasons I came here to Liverpool: to win trophies and titles. I want to win a lot of trophies at Liverpool.”