Liverpool are hoping that that Darwin Nunez’s will to go the club prevents a bidding war, and ensures the deal can be done smoothly, in a similar way to purchases like Virgil van Dijk in the past.
Benfica have set a price of £85m for the player, and their stance throughout talks so far is that he can be a greater talent than Joao Felix so is worth the price.
Neither Liverpool nor Manchester United are willing to pay that, though, as the clubs that have expressed the most interest so far. The Old Trafford hierarchy have been seriously investigating a deal for a month. Newcastle United are also willing to move this summer, but they are not currently seen as a realistic option.
Nunez wants Champions League football, and that is one of a number of reasons Liverpool see themselves as favourites. Jurgen Klopp is also willing to reshape his attack for the 22-year-old, in a partial overhaul of the forward line amid Sadio Mane’s likely departure.
One strategy is that Nunez is so convinced by Liverpool, it negates interest elsewhere and also weakens Benfica’s negotiating position. Similar was seen with Van Dijk, when all of England’s major clubs were interested, but also Luis Diaz from Porto in January.
Erik ten Hag does like Nunez, but United are similarly unwilling to get into a bidding war, not least because the coach sees midfield as more of a priority.
Frenkie de Jong is viewed as one of the primary targets. As reported by The Independent on Friday, though, United are aiming to leverage Barcelona into a lower price due to the Catalan club’s need to sell. The deal will not be done unless it is “realistic”. While that remains in the air, United have already started looking at other options if Nunez is impossible.
Some of their financial clout will depend on sales, although the process of moving on players like Eric Bailly and Anthony Martial is slow. There is a huge difference between what United want - around £30m - and the £10m or so that interested clubs are willing to pay.
An option being considered is RB Leipzig's in-demand attacking midfielder Christopher Nkunku.
