Newcastle United to table £85m for Darwin Nunez?

Newcastle United are ready to pounce for Benfica striker Darwin Nunez by making an £85m bid, according to Rodrigo Romano.

The 22-year-old is believed to leave the Portuguese outfit this summer, after contributing 32 goals and four assists in 38 appearances during an excellent 2021-22 campaign.

Manchester United, Liverpool and Real Madrid have all been strongly linked with an interest in Nunez’s signature.

However, journalist Romano suggests that the Magpies are in the race for the Uruguay international and that they are prepared to pay £85m as things stand.

Romano tweeted on Friday: “D. Nunez. Hours that can bring news for your transfer. The striker has many options to reach the Premier. Newcastle, under Arab control, is willing to pay what Benfica wants. There is talk of an amount close to 100 million euros.

“Newcastle today is the one best positioned to take it. The crown prince of Arabia, Bin Salman bets very strongly to put together a team that will fight for the title. The obstacle? They will not have Champions in 2022/23. All this is defined by Jorge Mendes, representative of Núñez.”

The Premier League outfit look set for a busy summer transfer window under their new Saudi-backed owners, who acquired the club late in 2021.