"What do you think?" - Benfica boss Nelson Verissimo reveals price tag of Arsenal and Manchester United target Darwin Nunez
SL Benfica manager Nelson Verissimo wants a transfer fee close to that of Joao Felix for Darwin Nunez amid links to Arsenal and Manchester United. Felix joined Atletico Madrid from Benfica for a fee of around €126 million in the summer of 2019.
Nunez is one of the most in-form strikers in Europe at the moment. The 22-year-old forward has scored 31 goals in 36 appearances for Benfica across all competitions. He recently scored a hat-trick against Belenenses in the Primeira Liga.
Verissimo has heaped praise on his striker's form, which has attracted interest from Europe's elite clubs including Arsenal and Manchester United. The 44-year-old tactician will expect the same amount of transfer fees Felix received. Verissimo was quoted as saying the following (via Team Talk):
"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. It will be at the end of this season or the following season, depending on what it has shown."
He added:
"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."
Benfica set huge asking price on Darwin Nunez amid Manchester United transfer links #MUFC
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Nunez currently has a contract with Benfica until 2025 which would see him go for a large sum of money.
Both Arsenal and Manchester United are in dire need of strengthening their attack ahead of the 2022-23 season. The Gunners are still yet to replace Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who left the club to join Barcelona in January. They could also lose forwards Eddie Nketiah and Alexandre Lacazette since both have less than six months remaining on their contracts.
Manchester United, meanwhile, do not have depth when it comes to their forward line. Edinson Cavani is set to leave in the summer while Anthony Martial's future is still a big question mark. The Frenchman is currently on loan at Sevilla.
Arsenal and Manchester United lose ground in the race for the top four
Arsenal and Manchester United both suffered defeats in the Premier League which saw them lose ground in their race for a top-four finish. The Gunners suffered a shock 2-1 defeat at the hands of Brighton & Hove Albion on April 9. It is worth mentioning that the Gunners have now lost back-to-back games in the league.
Manchester United, meanwhile, lost 1-0 to Everton at Goodison Park the same day. The Red Devils are also winless in their last two Premier League games.
United so bad, Arsenal bottling it , over to you Spurs 🤷🏻♂️
Both sides' top-four rivals Tottenham Hotspur, however, are on a four-game winning run and have taken the ascendency in the race to for the top-four. Spurs are currently three points clear of the Gunners in fifth and a further six points ahead of United in seventh.