Liverpool are one of the 'stand out candidates' for €130m rated forward

Liverpool look set to battle it out with other Premier League clubs for the signature of Benfica's Darwin Nunez.  

Uruguayan forward Nunez is one of the hottest prospects in world football at the moment and he has no shortage of suitors looking to sign him this summer.

A host of clubs which include European giants Manchester United, Liverpool and Barcelona have all been linked with a move for the 22-year-old in recent weeks.

Now, Spanish outlet AS, as cited by SportWitness, are claiming that Liverpool are one of the 'candidates' interested in signing the Uruguayan forward.

The report does go on to say that the Reds aren't alone in the race though and that there are a total of three Premier League clubs that 'stand out' in the pursuit of Nunez.

One positive for Liverpool is that the Benfica forward is expected to switch agents to Jorge Mendes, someone who is very familiar with Jurgen Klopp's side.

Mendes currently has two Liverpool players on his books, Diogo Jota and Fabinho, and he could make it a third if Nunez was to join the Merseyside club.

Despite these links, there is one massive issue for Liverpool in this deal. The price. AS claim that Benfica will not drop below €100m for Nunez. They even go on to say that the Portuguese club are hopeful that they can get €130m for the Uruguayan so that it can exceed the €127m fee received from João Félix’s sale to Atlético Madrid in 2019.

However, the report does state that there is one hurdle for the Reds if they want to complete this signing. They claim that a move for the Uruguayan may only be possible if Mohamed Salah were to leave the club after this season.

Anfield Watch Verdict

Nunez massively impressed when Liverpool faced Benfica in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, scoring two goals across the two games.

Klopp even praised the Uruguayan after his impressive display against the German's side, as cited by Anfield Watch's Twitter account.

"An extremely good looking boy eh?!" said Klopp. "He is a really good boy - he played in front of me battling against Konate. He was calm for the finish. He is good, really good. If he stays healthy, he has a big career ahead of him."

Even though it's unlikely to happen, Nunez would fit right into this Liverpool attack.