Liverpool keen to battle arch-rivals for 34-goal forward but ‘not at any cost’

Transfer News: Liverpool interested in Manchester United target Darwin Nunez but ‘not at any cost’

Liverpool are interested in Darwin Nunez of SL Benfica but they will not pay an over-the-top transfer fee to sign the striker, as per the Times (Subscription Required) [h/t the Daily Mail].

The 22-year-old Uruguayan star has made a big impression this season, especially in the UEFA Champions League. With goals against Barcelona and Liverpool, Nunez seems to have caught the attention of two of England’s biggest teams.

The Reds, along with Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United, are keen to sign the striker who is valued at around £68million. However, the Merseysiders’ interest will end if they feel the valuation for Nunez is over the top.

And that only makes sense. The Reds would understand that Nunez is yet to really prove his mettle over an extended period of time.

Scoring 34 times over the course of a season in all competitions for Benfica isn’t really an easy task. But the fee must take into account the fact that the Uruguayan international has shown such form across just one season.

Nunez to LFC?

The Eagles would surely, however, cite the fact that the Uruguayan star is just 22 and has shown just what he is capable of doing in European football. And that won’t be a wrong argument as well, given that he is yet to reach his peak.

Bayern Munich’s interest in Sadio Mane isn’t a secret anymore and if the Reds want to replace him, they may just be looking for a centre-forward. That is because rather than playing as a left-winger, the Senegalese star has featured as a number nine since Luis Diaz’s arrival in January.

Roberto Firmino, meanwhile, is seemingly on the wane and struggled with injuries in the latest season. To add to that, Divock Origi is set to leave Anfield this summer.

It is time that Jurgen Klopp goes out and gets himself a proper number nine in the mould of someone such as Robert Lewandowski- a player he coached at Borussia Dortmund. Nunez is miles away from reaching the Poland star’s level right now but he has the physique and finishing skills to reach that level someday.

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More importantly, he also has age on his side. Firmino has been an icon at Liverpool in a false nine role but Nunez brings something different in the sense that he is an out-and-out striker who may largely roam in and around the box waiting for chances.