Reds edge closer to £85m Nunez deal

LIVERPOOL are on the brink of completing the club record signing of Darwin Nunez after making a breakthrough in the structure of the £85million deal.

Liverpool sporting director Julian Ward has been in Lisbon over the weekend for talks with his Benfica counterpart Pedro Marques for the Uruguay international, whose heart is set on a move to Merseyside after rebuffing interest from Manchester United and Newcastle United.

Liverpool would pay an initial £64m with a further £12.8m payable on appearances and then an additional £8.5m linked to the success of Jurgen Klopp’s team. Benfica had proposed the deal be split into a first payment of £68m followed by £17m in bonuses. From the player’s point of view, personal terms have been agreed and Nunez (right) — who was also wanted by Atletico Madrid and turned down offers from Newcastle and West Ham in January — will sign a six-year contract, worth more than £6m per year.

The 22-year-old is currently in Madrid and provided there are no late twists, he could begin his medical tomorrow, with an official announcement coming from the club later this week. It is a statement of intent from Liverpool to get this deal completed so quickly and Nunez — should he hit all the targets included in the deal — will overtake Virgil van Dijk as the most expensive player in the club’s history. Meanwhile, former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino is leaving Paris Saint-Germain after reaching an agreement with the French champions. Zinedine Zidane is the club’s first- choice to replace Pochettino, but Jose Mourinho, now at Roma, and Nice boss Christophe Galtier are also in the frame.