Manchester United are one of a number of top teams interested in signing Benfica hotshot Darwin Nunez - the latest in a long line of talents crafted in Lisbon.
The Uruguayan striker has been in scintillating form this season, netting a staggering 31 goals in 36 appearances for the Portuguese giants. It therefore comes as no surprise that some of Europe's elite are keeping a watchful eye on the 22-year-old.
The Red Devils are reportedly one of a number of Premier League sides said to be monitoring the Uruguayan forward who is also understood to be attracting interest from all across the continent. With talk of Benfica slapping a mammoth £60million price tag on the striker amid growing speculation surrounding a summer move, Nunez could become the latest star to depart the club for a mega-money fee.
In fact, should the sought-after striker be snapped up for that figure this summer, the money the Portuguese side will have amassed from sales over the past decade will stand in excess of £1billion. It's fair to say Benfica is a hotbed for talent.
According to Transfermarkt, the most eye-popping fee which the Eagles have commanded for a player sits at an astonishing £114.5m. That figure was paid by Atletico Madrid who splashed the cash to sign Portuguese wonderkid Joao Felix back in the summer of 2019.
While the second-highest transfer fee Benfica have ever received for a player is considerably lower, it remains a significant amount of money. Manchester City shelled out £61.2m for centre-back Ruben Dias in September of 2020, and with the defender having scooped the Premier League's Player of the Year award last season, many consider that fee a snip.
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Dias isn't the only star the reigning Premier League champions have pinched from Benfica either. City forked out £36m for goalkeeper Ederson back in the summer of 2017.
Once again, Pep Guardiola 's side appear to have bagged themselves a bargain, as the Brazilian stopper has since gone on to establish himself as one of the most revered goalkeepers in world football. £36m was also the figure paid out by Russian side Zenit when they purchased Belgian midfielder Axel Witsel from Benfica back in June of 2011, when he was just 22 years of age.
City aren't the only Premier League side to have bolstered Benfica's bank account in recent times. Wolves parted with £34.2m to secure the services of Mexican striker Raul Jimenez on permanent basis back in 2019 after he notched 12 goals and registered seven assists during a season-long loan.
Wolves right-back Nelson Semedo comes in at sixth on Benfica's list of top ten fees received, though it was in actual fact Spanish giants Barcelona who paid out for the defender. The La Liga side spent £32.1m on Semedo back in the summer of 2017, only to sell him on to the West Midlanders for a few million less three years later.
Should United snap up Nunez this summer, it wouldn't be the first time they've filled Benfica's pockets. The Red Devils splashed £31.5m on a 22-year-old Victor Lindelof back in June of 2017 - the same figure that Bayern Munich spent on upcoming teenage midfielder Renato Sanches one year previous.
Benfica have entertained offers from returning customers over the years and one such club who have completed multiple raids on the Lisbon-based outfit are Real Madrid. The record 13-time European champions spent £29.7m on Argentine winger Angel Di Maria in 2010, only to return a year later to snap up Portuguese left-back Fabio Coentrao for a slightly smaller fee of £27m.
With £60m being banded around as the figure it'll take to prise Nunez away from the Portuguese capital, the highly-rated striker could soon be another to take his place in Benfica's top ten list of players sold. If the roaring success of the other names on the list is anything to go by, United would be in for a treat if they land the free-scoring forward.
Benfica's top ten record departures:
1. Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid, £114.5m)
2. Ruben Dias (Manchester City, £61.2m)
3. Ederson (Manchester City, £36m)
4. Witsel (Zenit, £36m)
5. Raul Jimenez (Wolves, £34.2m)
6. Nelson Semedo (Barcelona, £32.1m)
7. Victor Lindelof ( Manchester United, £31.5m)
8. Renato Sanches (Bayern Munich, £31.5m)
9. Angel Di Maria (Real Madrid, £29.7m)
10. Fabio Coentrao (Real Madrid, £27m)
