Premier League sides Manchester United and Arsenal have been put on high alert as Benfica are preparing to cash in on Darwin Nunez, as per The Athletic.
Nunez is one of the most sought-after strikers right now in European football and last month, there were reports that Benfica has agreed to let him leave in the summer – if a club is ready to pay the right transfer fees.
Now, in another major update, The Athletic are claiming that Benfica have identified a potential replacement in the form of Stuttgart striker Sasa Kalajdzic and this is just another sign of the inevitable.
Darwin Nunez has been on fire for Benfica this season, scoring 26 goals in 28 league matches and since Manchester United and Arsenal are both actively looking for a new striker, there’s a very big chance that the 22-year-old could be plying his trade in the Premier League next season. Benfica have set their asking price at around €60m-€80m and given his raw talent, the inquisitive clubs should not have any problems in meeting this demand.
COMPARED: Darwin Núñez vs. Erling Haaland in the league this season:
◉ Mins: 1988-1825
◉ Goals: 26-21
◎ Assists: 4-7
◉ Shots: 85-77
◉ Chances created: 30-23
◉ Take-ons completed: 39-13
◉ Conversion rate: 30.6%-27.3%Full per 90 comparison – https://t.co/9Anaxfb1qN pic.twitter.com/eAey5rvYTD
— Squawka (@Squawka) May 10, 2022
Which club is Darwin Nunez likely to join at the end of this season?
The fact that Benfica have identified a replacement, there’s very little chance that Darwin Nunez is going to remain with them beyond the summer.
Arsenal will see both Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah leave in the summer so signing a new centre-forward is their utmost priority. The Gunners will go all out to try and sign the 22-year-old but if the media buzz is to be believed then Manchester United have a more promising chance at signing him.
It’s being claimed that Darwin Nunez wants to join Man United and he is not even seeking Champions League football next season. United are also aware of this fact which is why they are trying really hard to wrap up this deal even before the transfer window opens.
Arsenal could miss out on UCL football after their loss to Newcastle United but they won’t be too demoralised because Nunez does not see top-tier European football as a necessity. They will obviously try and compete with Manchester United but the Gunners are also chasing others like Gabriel Jesus and Jonathan David so Mikel Arteta won’t be too worried.
Bayern Munich have also been linked with Darwin Nunez but the Bundesliga side are not willing to meet Benfica’s transfer fee.
