Fabrizio Romano has placed Liverpool in the lead in the pursuit of Benfica’s star man, Darwin Nunez.
The Merseysiders were thought to be competing with a host of top clubs for the 22-year-old’s signature, including Atletico Madrid and bitter rivals Manchester United.
“As of today Liverpool are leading the race, still waiting to get the deal done. The next few hours will be crucial to understand if Liverpool and Benfica will complete the deal,” the reliable journalist told Caught Offside.
The Uruguayan has made his preference crystal clear, however, with a switch to Anfield the first choice should the finer details between the two clubs manage to be successfully thrashed out.
If Jurgen Klopp has personally called the player, as Pipe Sierra has claimed, one has to imagine it’s a deal that we’re expecting to sort out in the near future.
In a deal exceeding £60m just in the fee up front alone, it’s surprising to many that we were so keen on the 34-goal hitman, though it should be remembered that, historically, we have spent beyond the £50m mark when especially confident in the potential signing.
Virgil van Dijk, holder of our £75m club record transfer, is a shining example of how justified a big-money move can be.
Certainly, with Sadio Mane looking more than likely to be at Bayern Munich next term, there’s a major justification for sourcing an extremely exciting talent.