Benfica have confirmed they have reached an agreement to sell Darwin Nunez to Liverpool in a deal that could be worth up to £85m (€100m).
The Liverpool ECHO reported on Sunday that the Reds were on the verge of completing the signing of the 22-year-old Uruguayan striker from Benfica.
And in the early hours of Monday morning (0:44am) the Portuguese giants informed the Securities Market Commission - a legal obligation as a public company - of the deal which will see Liverpool pay €75m (£64.1m) plus a possible further €25m (£21.3m) in add-ons.
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In a statement on their official sporting website, Benfica said: "In the early morning hours of this Monday (0:44 am), Sport Lisboa e Benfica – Futebol, SAD informed the Securities Market Commission (CMVM) that it had reached an agreement with Liverpool FC for the sale of all rights to the player Darwin Nunez, for the amount of €75m.
"To the CMVM, Benfica's SAD also informed that the agreement provides for the payment of a variable remuneration, so the global amount of the sale could reach the amount of €100m. It is further informed that the aforementioned agreement is dependent on the signing of the player's sports employment contract with Liverpool FC."
It is understood that Nunez will sign a six-year contract with the Reds, who will pay Benfica a set fee of £64.1m (€75m), with a possible £12.8m (€15m) in appearance-related add-ons and £8.5m (€10m) depending on team success.
That means the Uruguay international could break the club’s transfer record set when Virgil van Dijk moved from Southampton for £75m in January 2018.
Once Nunez signs his contract, Liverpool will be free to announce what will be their second signing of the summer after the arrival of Fabio Carvalho from Fulham.
The Reds, meanwhile, are expecting Bayern Munich to lodge a third, improved bid for Mane in the coming days as they hold out for nearer £42.75m for the Senegalese international.
