Benfica manager Nelson Verissimo has claimed that Darwin Nunez could cost in the region of £113m if he leaves the Portuguese club during this summer's transfer window.
The Uruguay international has been in excellent form for the Eagles during the 2021-22 campaign, scoring 31 times and registering three assists in 36 appearances in all competitions.
Manchester United, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City have all been credited with an interest in the 22-year-old ahead of the upcoming market.
Benfica were thought to value Nunez in the region of £60m, but Verissimo has said that the forward's asking price could be similar to the £113m that Atletico Madrid paid the club for Joao Felix in 2019.
"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," Verissimo told reporters.
"He is a young player with a lot of potential, it is natural that given what has been his growth throughout this season and also a lot as a result of the performance he has had in the Champions League games, it is natural that he arouses the interest of the big European clubs.
"It will be at the end of this season or the following season, depending on what he has shown, it is natural that it will arouse interest from other clubs and naturally there may be the time in which he goes. Now regarding numbers, I hope as a Benfica fan that he will go for numbers close to those that were Joao Felix's numbers. Now it's not for me to enter numbers on that field.
"In what is my day to day with the player, in what is given to us to observe in training and in the games, naturally we are looking at a top player and all the top players arouse the interest of the big European clubs. Darwin is on that list, obviously."
Nunez still has more than three years left on his contract with Benfica, placing the Lisbon giants in a strong position when it comes to potential negotiations this summer.
Matt Law
