Jurgen Klopp is a big fan of Darwin Nunez, with Liverpool expected to sign the Benfica striker for £85 million after huge praise from the manager this season.
According to ESPN, the Reds are in “advanced talks” with Benfica for a deal worth around £85 million for Nunez, who has already agreed personal terms with the Anfield club.
It will be a record-breaking transfer for Liverpool, exceeding their £75 million outlay for Virgil van Dijk in 2018, and it shows how convinced Klopp is the 22-year-old can excel.
This was evident during the campaign just gone, when Klopp’s side came up against Benfica twice in the Champions League quarter-finals.
Nunez scored in both legs, and ahead of the opening tie in Portugal, the manager was full of praise.
“He is a good striker! The next one from Uruguay,” Klopp told reporters.
“I don’t know how they play together, Cavani, Suarez and him in one team, that’s probably a challenge to put that in place.
“Top, top boy. And yes, the goals he scored, obviously the one against Ajax in Amsterdam was a massive one, big one, and yes, in the group stage as well. So he’s not shy.
“We expect him to start tomorrow and we have to make sure that he will not get a lot of balls.”
After Nunez capitalised on Ibrahima Konate‘s error for the consolation goal at the Estadio da Luz, he was rightly highlighted as the key threat for the deciding leg at Anfield.
On a different night, the Uruguayan could have had a hat-trick on Merseyside, and again, Klopp was asked about his quality during the pre-match press conference.
“Extremely good-looking boy, eh? And a decent player as well! Really good, really good, you have to say,” Klopp replied.
“I knew before, of course, but he played pretty much in front of me with his tough battles with Ibou Konate.
“Physically strong, quick, plus calm around his finish, when he finished the goal off he was really calm.
“Good, really, really good. How we say in these situations, if he stays healthy it’s a big career ahead of him.”
It seems now that that “big career” could be at Anfield – though it is safe to say Klopp may have already had an idea that would be the case by then!
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