Manchester United Handed Major Blow As Liverpool Enter Picture For £85 Million Striker

Manchester United have been hit with a major blow, with Darwin Nunez looking more likely to swap Benfica for Liverpool this summer, according to reports.

The 22-year-old striker looked to be one of Erik ten Hag's top choices in the position, as the club aim to add quality to the position where Cristiano Ronaldo operates.

The 37-year-old striker had hip-flexor issues last season which kept him out of a number of games, with little to no cover for him after Mason Greenwood's suspension and Anthony Martial's loan move to Sevilla.

United need a player who is able to properly challenge the veteran so that they are more secure in the position. It has also been reported by Samuel Luckhurst that Ten Hag could trial Marcus Rashford as a number nine during pre-season if they're unable to recruit a new goalscorer by then.

Nunez scored 34 goals in 41 games last season for Benfica, with six of those coming in the club's run in the Champions League, where they were knocked out in the quarter-finals by eventual runners-up Liverpool.

However, United's seemingly prime target looks to be more attracted to the proposition of joining Jurgen Klopp's men.

Despite failure to match or better United's treble feat in 1998/99, Liverpool still won two trophies last season and were moments away from a historical campaign.

With the likely departure of Sadio Mane, who has been at United's rivals since his move from Southampton in 2015, the Premier League side are looking to add more firepower to their frontline.

Yet, the high price tag of £85 million could be a stumbling block for Klopp's side in the potential deal and they are also considering other options in the position, as per James Pearce of The Athletic.

They would need to break their transfer record to bring the Portuguese to Anfield, however, Dominic King of the Daily Mail has reported that the side that finished second in the Premier League last season would be willing to do exactly just that.

The player would also be more attracted to a Liverpool move, with the club competing in the Champions League.

Dominic King's report also mentions that Nunez is understood to be keen on a move to Klopp's side and is excited to about the idea of developing his career under the Liverpool manager.

But, Liverpool won't get dragged into a bidding war for the striker, as reported by Paul Joyce, as United have also shown interest in the striker.

Further movement on United's end could be expected when United have dealt with their central midfield issues, which is the first priority for the club.