Benfica boss Nelson Verissimo hopes that the Portuguese giants can set a similar asking price for Manchester United transfer target Darwin Nunez as they did Joao Felix.
The coveted Uruguayan took his tally for the season to 31 goals in all competitions after scoring a hat-trick in Benfica’s 3-1 win against Belenenses last night.
The 22-year-old’s third hat-trick of the season came four days after his consolation strike against Liverpool in the Champions League quarter-final first leg at the Estadio da Luz.
According to the Daily Express, United scouts were in Lisbon to watch the quarter-final clash and the race to sign the young South American is likely to be one of the major stories of the summer transfer window.
But speaking after his side’s league win, Verissimo was well aware of the growing interest in the Uruguayan international, but he believes Europe’s heavyweights should have to pay similar to the £113million Atletico Madrid paid to land Felix in July 2019.
Speaking in the Mirror, Verissimo said: “What do you think? Darwin is an excellent player, he has shown all his quality. He has helped the team a lot, it is true that the team has also helped him a lot,” the Benfica head coach explained.
“He is a young player, with a lot of potential, it is natural that given what has been his growth throughout this season and also a lot as a result of the performance he has had in the Champions League games, it is natural that he arouses the interest of the big European clubs.
“It will be at the end of this season or the following season, depending on what it has shown, it is natural that it will arouse interest from other clubs and naturally there may be the timing in which it goes.
“Now regarding numbers, I hope as a Benfica fan that it will go for numbers close to those that were João Félix’s numbers. Now it’s not for me to enter numbers on that field.
“In what is my day to day with the player, in what is given to us to observe in training and in the game, naturally we are here before a different player and all the different players arouse the interest of the big European clubs. Darwin is on that list, obviously.”
With interest in Nunez likely to intensify when the summer transfer window opens, Benfica’s number nine has left agent Edgardo Lasalvia, and he is expected to join up with super agent Jorge Mendes, in an attempt to engineer a big-money move.
With Nunez’s legendary compatriot Edinson Cavani set to leave Old Trafford when his contract expires at the end of June, United who are in the market for a younger striker would love to replace El Matador with his nation’s young prodigy.
But with United’s Champions League prospects evaporating with every passing league game, Nunez, who craves Champions League football, might not see the Theatre of Dreams as an attractive destination this summer.
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