Sources: Liverpool 'hot' on signing Darwin Nunez after £40m bid rejected
Liverpool have set their sights on Benfica forward Darwin Nunez and he is open to joining them in the summer, Football Insider understands.
The Uruguay forward, 22, has been in blistering form this season and further enhanced his reputation with a fine display against Ajax in the Champions League in midweek.
A Liverpool source has told Football Insider that their feted recruitment team are closely monitoring Nunez and were at the Estadio Da Luz to run the rule over him once again.
It is said they are "hot" on the versatile forward, who can play down the middle, behind the main striker or on the left flank, and he is firmly on their radar.
Intriguingly, the eight-times Uruguay international is also "keen" on joining Liverpool, the source added, as he eyes a summer move to the Premier League.
Nunez was the subject of a £40m bid from West Ham in January after coming close to joining Brighton last summer for £22m.
He is now valued at around the £55m mark by Benfica, who are increasingly likely to cash in on him this summer.
The level of Liverpool's interest is likely to be influenced by the outcome of contract negotiations with forward trio Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino.
They are all out of contract in the summer of 2023 and yet to agree extended terms.
Benfica signed Nunez from Spanish outfit Almeria in the summer of 2020 for a club-record £20m.
It has proved to be money well spent.
Nunez scored 14 goals and supplied 12 assists in his debut season and has gone to a new level since being forced to miss last summer's Copa America due to a knee injury.
The striker has banged in 23 goals from 29 matches in all competitions this season, including 18 goals from 19 league games.
Significantly, Nunez has demonstrated he can thrive in the Champions League and has three goals in the competition this term, one against Bayern Munich and two against Barcelona.
He led the line for Benfica in their midweek 2-2 draw against Ajax as part of a two-strong strike force.