Liverpool preparing 'verbal' £69m bid for Darwin Nunez amid Mane uncertainty

Liverpool are reportedly set to test the waters for Benfica forward Darwin Nunez as they look to find a replacement for Sadio Mane this summer.

The Senegal forward seems destined to depart Anfield, with Bayern Munich the sole party credited with an interest at present, and that will leave a sizeable gap in Jurgen Klopp's frontline.

And, according to reports, it is one that they are interested in plugging with Darwin Nunez, who scored in each leg of the Champions League tie between Liverpool and Benfica last season.

The 22-year-old was linked with West Ham and Newcastle in January, but his 26 goals in 28 Liga Portugal games have seen him leave mid-table links behind, now targeting a move to a Champions League club.

It means that Arsenal and Manchester United, though interested, are well down in the pecking order.

As per the reliable Fabrizio Romano, Liverpool are ready to shell out on the forward, with the Reds verbally communicating an opening offer of around 80m euros (£69m) including add-ons.

Some sources, such as Gianluigi Longari, even claim that a deal is further down the line than that, with personal terms already agreed and a fee close to being decided upon.

What seems clear is that Liverpool are stepping up their search for a replacement for Sadio Mane, even after turning down a second Bayern Munich bid on Wednesday.

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