For the last 24 hours, there have been various claims in the Portuguese and UK media regarding Liverpool’s firm interest in Benfica star Darwin Núñez.
The reports of a Liverpool offer started from Portugal, and were quickly followed up in England.
A Bola, in their Thursday edition, provide details of the efforts made by the Reds to secure the striker’s services.
It’s said that Liverpool initially proposed €70m plus €30m in bonuses, and their first offer was rejected by the Eagles.
That didn’t put the Merseyside club off, as they quickly returned with an offer of €80m plus an additional €20m in bonuses. This proposal is currently being analysed by the Primeira Liga side.
Benfica have also asked Jürgen Klopp’s side to raise their offer to €85m fixed, plus €15m bonuses. They could also accept the €80m plus €20m offer, provided the bonuses are changed to easily achievable targets.
The Eagles, however, are not willing to take any Reds player as part of the deal for the Uruguay international. Liverpool tried to lower the fee by including Takumi Minamino and/or Konstantinos Tsimikas, but that was rejected by the Portuguese club.
A Bola state there is no definitive response from the South American, but all indicators point towards Núñez saying yes to Klopp’s side.
The Premier League side have moved decisively for Núñez and are close to reaching a deal with Benfica, with the report adding that it could happen this week.
