Liverpool's deal to sign striker Darwin Nunez from Benfica has been confirmed with details of the breakdown of the transfer fee drawing similarities to Bayern Munich’s rejected offer for Sadio Mane.
Nunez bagged an impressive 34 goals in all competitions this season – including in both legs of their European clash against the Reds at the quarter-final stage, taking his goal tally in the competition to six for the campaign – with Liverpool winning the race to his signature.
The Uruguayan international was always going to be one of Europe's most sought-after strikers this summer after a sensational season in the Primeira Liga and Champions League and had been linked to a series of top European clubs. His move to Anfield will see the club break their record transfer fee of £75million paid for Virgil van Dijk in 2018.
Portuguese paper Record, as cited by Sport Witness, claims that the agreement will see Benfica receive £64.2million (€75m) upfront from the Reds but that there are £21.5million (€25m) in easily attainable add-ons.
An extra £4.3million (€5m) will be paid after Nunez plays 10 games for his new club and when he hits the 60-game milestone, £8.6million (€10m) will be paid. The remaining £8.6million (€10m) will depend on performance-related objectives, both individual and collective. That takes the total value of the deal up to £85.5million (€100m).
These precise figures are contested by The Times, although there is consensus over the initial £64.2million agreement and £12.8million potentially linked to appearances and £8.5 million based on the forward performing in a successful team.
This draws parallels to the situation of Reds forward Mane. Bayern Munich are interested in striking a deal for the Senegalese forward in the current window with Mane himself expressing his desire to leave Anfield for a fresh challenge. Bayern have so far lodged two offers with the Reds - both of which have been rejected.
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The Reds are refusing to allow the German giants to get Mane on the cheap after rejecting an improved second offer of £30million, which included add-ons. It was reported that the first bid was around £21million up front with another £4million in bonuses to make a £25million total package. However, their second bid is said to be a fixed £30million fee with £4.2million in potential bonuses. Those add-ons share similarities with those easily achievable bonuses linked to the Reds deal for Nunez.
It is claimed that, despite the initial rejection, both parties expect an agreement to be reached and there are high hopes from Bayern that their second bid will satisfy Liverpool's demands.
Earlier this month, Mane suggested he will follow the wishes of his nation's fans by leaving the Reds. This would end a sparkling six-year stint on Merseyside during which he scored 120 goals in 269 matches. However, he later insisted he was "joking" with those comments and maintains full respect for Liverpool.
