While some big clubs have yet to wake up this summer transfer window, Liverpool FC are making moves; record breaking ones at that. The Reds, according to multiple outlets, are quickly closing in on completing their expensive acquisition of all-time, in Benfica forward Darwin Nunez.
We covered the Merseyside Club’s acquisition of the Uruguayan striker in detail, a couple days ago, over at this link. According to The BBC, it’s a deal that is “expected to be worth an initial £64m with about £21m in add-ons.”
Darwin Núñez to have Monday medical before sealing Liverpool move. Story by @FabrizioRomano and @SachinNakrani https://t.co/32qlFxSyAA
— Guardian sport (@guardian_sport) June 12, 2022
That converts to roughly about €100 million or $105,000,000, and that easily surpasses the current Liverpool transfer record, the £75m that they paid Southampton FC for center-back Virgil van Dijk in 2018.
The Darwin Nunez medical is reportedly set for Monday, and that means we could see an official announcement as early as Tuesday.
According to the Liverpool site on Sports Illustrated ‘s network, Darwin Nunez will earn around €6 million per year (approximately €115k per week).
And yet, despite his astronomical salary and transfer fee, he still has had to deal with layovers and connecting flights in his journey to get this monumental move completed.
Of course, the deal isn’t completely 100% officialized yet, and that means we don’t know the final transfer fee and wages at this moment.
However, citing our piece from three days ago:
“One thing that can’t be misreported is the fact that Darwin Nunez had a breakout year this year. The Uruguayan scored at almost a goal a game for Benfica in the Portuguese top flight, with 26 goals from his 28 appearances.”
Obviously, this move has been made with an eye on Sadio Mane bolting the club, most likely for Bayern Munich, and the uncertain future of Mo Salah beyond next season.
It’s all a part of a slow-moving but big money makeover in the attack at Anfield.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and he co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast, part of Edge of the Crowd Network. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.