Darwin Nunez transfer news: Man Utd and Liverpool right to be scared off by huge asking price
Robin Bairner
- 8 Jun 2022 12:24 BST
- 3 min read
Manchester United and Liverpool are among the leading contenders to sign Darwin Nunez from Benfica this summer, with transfer specultion over the Uruguay star beginning to grow.
As revealed by FootballTransfers, Nunez’s likely destination is the Premier League, where Newcastle also hold a concrete interest in the Uruguay international forward, who has been in prolific form in Portugal this season.
Real Madrid are another side who are presently chasing the 22-year-old, although a return to Spain is less likely for the former Almeria player.
Indeed, it is FootballTransfers understanding that Nunez sees Anfield as his likely destination.
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According to the Daily Star, though, Man Utd’s interest in the player could be wavering over the massive transfer fee being demanded by Benfica. The Portuguese club have told the Old Trafford outfit that it will take more than €115 million in order to prise the player from them.
Such is the enormity of the fee, Man Utd have simply been left wondering: is he worth it?
What is Darwin Nunez’s transfer value?
FootballTransfers’ algorithm, which was created by data analytics experts SciSports is based around calculations using hundreds of in-game data points and generated over months, suggests the answer is a flat no.
Our valuation puts Nunez around the €26m mark – a fraction of the fee that Benfica are asking. Even with an error factored in, he is still worth far less than the Portuguese club want.
Of course, there is a caveat to this. Moving to a bigger club would automatically increase his value substantially, particularly if he is a success. This has been the case with Liverpool’s Luis Diaz, to take a recent example.
And it is this success that the Reds seem eager to build on as they become favourites to sign the former Almeria striker.
Nevertheless, Nunez still represents a big gamble for a club like Man Utd, which is in a position whereby they have to be virtually flawless with their transfer policy if they are to close the gap on the Premier League’s leading sides in the next season or two.
Liverpool, though, have more scope for error in their transfer policy but have had an unerring ability to get it right in recent years. Could Nunez, though, be a first slip as they move into the post-Michael Edwards era?
