Darwin Nuñez payout triggered after Burnley performance

Darwin Nuñez ended a run of 12 games without a Liverpool goal as he struck in the 2-0 win over Burnley on Boxing Day.

The performance was a welcome one for Liverpool, as well as his old club Benfica, who are reportedly set for a payout as a result of his latest appearance.

According to O Jogo (via SportWitness), the Reds are now due to pay Benfica an extra €5m (£4.3m) as part of the performance related add-ons in his transfer.

Liverpool paid €75m (£65m) up front for Nuñez, along with another €25m (£22m) in bonuses depending on various appearance and achievement targets.

The Portuguese report claims that the Reds already paid out €5m after the forward reached ten starts in the Premier League and Champions League, while the next €5m instalment is now due with the Burnley game marking 35 starts.

It is said that there is still a further €5m pending in the event that Nuñez makes 60 starts, while the final €5m in add-ons will only be due if Liverpool win either the Premier League or Champions League.

Interestingly, O Jogo's understanding of Nuñez's payment structure differs somewhat from what has been previously reported in the English press.

Back in November, the Mirror claimed that Liverpool were obliged to cough up €10m (£8.5m) following the landmark of 60 appearances in all competitions, with the rest of the contractual add-ons dependent upon individual and team performance.

Nuñez's form has been hit and miss so far in 2023/24.

The Uruguayan started the season behind the likes of Cody Gakpo in the pecking order to be Jurgen Klopp's starting centre forward, but won back his place after a match-winning brace from the bench against Newcastle.

However, despite earning a run in the team, the 24-year-old has struggled with consistency in front of goal.

Despite this, Klopp has remained positive about Nuñez's development.

Discussing his number nine earlier this month, Klopp told Amazon Prime: "He was a bit aggressive a little bit in the wrong way at the beginning, when things don’t go well. He’s completed relaxed in these moments now, he is aggressive but in the right way.

"So yes, I’m really, really happy with what I see in the moment. And the rest will come. We are completely calm, that’s how it is.

"Could he have scored more goals? Yes, of course. Could he have more situations? I don’t think so.

"He has all the moments, now we have to work on the last touch."