Darwin Nunez ended Liverpool’s 12-match clean sheet with a 2-0 win over Burnley on Boxing Day.This is welcomed not only by Liverpool but also by his former club Benfica. Benfica are ready to capitalize on their recent performances. According to O Jogo (via SportWitness ), the Reds will now have to pay an extra €5m as part of the performance-related surcharges following Benfica’s move.
Liverpool paid €75m (£65m) upfront for Nunez, with a further €25m (£22m) in bonuses linked to various appearance and performance targets. Reports in Portugal claim Liverpool paid €5m for the striker after he made 10 Premier League and Champions League starts and a further €5m before his 35 starts against Burnley.
They are expected to pay a further €5m if Nunez starts 60 games, with the final €5m only to be paid if Liverpool win the Premier League or Champions League. Interestingly, O Jogo’s understanding of Núñez’s payment structure differs somewhat from what was previously reported in the British press. The Mirror claimed in November that Liverpool should receive €10m (£8.5m) after reaching 60 appearances in all competitions, with the rest of the contract contingent on individual and team performances. Nunez’s form has been inconsistent so far in 2023/24.
The Uruguayan started the season behind the likes of Cody Gakpo to become Jurgen Klopp’s main striker, but regained his place after scoring the winning goal against Newcastle. However, the 24-year-old has struggled to remain consistent in front of goal despite his side’s scoring numbers.However, Klopp was positive about Nunez’ progress.
Speaking about his No.9 earlier this month, Klopp said in an Amazon Prime interview: He’s completely relaxed and aggressive at the moment. , but in the right way. “Yes, I am very happy to see now. And the rest will come. We are completely calm. This is.”Could he have scored more goals?” Sure. Could it have other conditions? I don’t think so.”He has every moment. Now we have to work on the last point.”
