Liverpool closing in on £60m Nunez deal

■ LIVERPOOL’s director of football Julian Ward is in Portugal hoping to drive down Benfica’s asking price for 22-year-old striker Darwin Nunez (right).

Benfica want £68million up front with a further £17m in add-ons. Ward is offering around £60m plus more conservative bonuses.

The Uruguyan could head to Merseyside this week for a medical if the deal is agreed.

■ JUVENTUS are hopeful of reaching agreement with free agent Paul Pogba after a further meeting with the player’s lawyer.

■ BARCELONA want more money up front from Manchester United for their £70m-rated Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong.

■ TOTTENHAM remain keen on Everton forward Richarlison if they can capitalise on the Goodison club’s need to sell players this summer. The Brazilian is rated at around £80m by

Everton but, with two years left on his

contract, Spurs are looking to get a deal for less than £50m. Spurs’ out-offavour midfielder Harry Winks may be used in any deal as Everton have enquired about his availability.

■ FULHAM have turned to Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno after talks for Lazio’s Thomas Strakosha stalled. Fulham defender Cyrus Christie, meanwhile, is in talks with Preston North End.

■ SOUTHAMPTON and Fulham are chasing Bradford City’s highly-rated 16-year-old Freddy Jeffreys. The skilful midfielder is due to be part of Mark Hughes’s first team next season.

■ BOBBY HOPE, who won the League Cup in 1966 and FA Cup two years later in a West Brom career which spanned 12 years, has died aged 78. Midfielder Hope scored 42 times for West Brom and won seven caps for Scotland in the late 1960s.

He went on to play for Birmingham City, Sheffield Wednesday and Bromsgrove Rovers, who he also managed.

■ LIVERPOOL are awaiting a third bid from Bayern Munich for £42mrated Sadio Mane, while Monaco and Wolves are looking to sign midfielder Takumi Minamino.

■ BOURNEMOUTH want Middlesbrough winger Marcus Tavernier and are discussing a deal for Ryan Fredericks following his departure from West Ham, who are finalising terms on a £25m deal for Rennes defender Nayef Aguerd.

■ CRYSTAL PALACE have been rebuffed in an approach to sign Peterborough United’s England U19 defender Ronnie Edwards.

■ BRENTFORD want to make Christian Eriksen the best paid player at the club, despite the midfielder appearing on the club’s released list yesterday.

■ TOTTENHAM hope to advance their bid for Middlesbrough fullback Djed Spence this week.

■ MANCHESTER CITY winger Savinho, 18, is joining PSV Eindhoven on loan.

■ STOKE CITY are close to signing Aden Flint who has been released by Cardiff. Stoke also want Derby full-back Nathan Byrne.