23/04/2025 04:00
Let's be honest, he wasn't going to start anyway.
According to Portuguese outlet A Bola, Benfica are growing increasingly anxious that Darwin Nunez may not feature in Liverpool's starting XI again this season—not due to form or fitness, but finance. The report reads:
"They claim that Benfica have received €10 million out of a possible €25 million in bonuses from Nunez's transfer to Liverpool. The structure of the deal saw Liverpool pay €5 million after Núñez started 10 matches in the Premier League and Champions League, and another €5 million once he reached 25 starts in those competitions."
With only five games left in Liverpool's season, Nunez is one start away from triggering the third €5 million payment. But he hasn't started since March, and with Liverpool out of all other cup competitions, it's pretty unlikely that Liverpool have any reasons to rotate and start him just to pay that sum for a player who is pretty clearly not in their plans for the future. He's arguably only above Chiesa in the attacking depth chart, with Arne Slot having preferred to turn to Luis Diaz as the number 9 on some occasions. So yeah... sorry Benfica. (Not that sorry.)
