Darwin Nunez joins Liverpool in club-record £85m deal from Benfica

Liverpool have completed the signing of Darwin Nunez from Benfica for a club-record fee of £85m, with the Uruguay striker signing a six-year contract.

The deal is subject to a work permit and international clearance. Darwin will wear the No 27 shirt at Anfield, which was vacated by Divock Origi this summer.

The 22-year-old scored 34 times for Benfica in all competitions last season, including goals in both legs of the club’s Champions League quarter-final defeat to Liverpool in April.

The upfront fee of £64m will rise to £85m should Nunez reach a number of milestones outlined in his agreement, which range from scoring goals to winning the Champions League.

“I’m really happy and delighted to be here at Liverpool. It’s a massive club,” Nunez told Liverpool’s club website. “It’s a pleasure to be here in Liverpool and I’m very happy to be a part of this great club.

“I’ve played against Liverpool and I’ve seen them in lots of games in the Champions League, and it’s my style of play. There are some great players here and I think it’s going to suit my style of play.

“As I say, I’ve watched quite a lot and it’s a very big club and I hope I can give everything that I’ve got in order to help the team.

“That’s one of the reasons why I came here to Liverpool – to win trophies and titles. I want to win a lot of trophies at Liverpool.”

After Liverpool’s first-leg win in Lisbon, manager Jurgen Klopp praised the player, saying: “A good-looking boy, huh? And a decent player as well! Really good, really good. I knew before, of course, but he played pretty much in front of me with his tough battles with Ibrahima Konate.

‘He was physically strong, quick, was calm around his finish. Good, really good. I always say in these situations if he is healthy, it’s a big career ahead of him.”

Manchester United, Newcastle United and clubs on the continent were also reportedly interested in signing Nunez this summer, however, Liverpool have moved quickly to complete the big-money transfer for their No 1 target.

And that could now pave the way for forward Sadio Mane to join Bayern Munich, with the Senegal international having just a year left on his current deal at the club.

Liverpool have so far rejected two bids from the Bundesliga side for the 30-year-old, the second of which was worth a potential £30m.