Man Utd prepared to give up on Nunez transfer to avoid Liverpool bidding war

The Red Devils don't see a likely expensive chase to be wise at this juncture

Posted Saturday, June 11, 2022 by Goal.com

Manchester United are ready to surrender in their transfer pursuit of Benfica striker Darwin Nunez as they are increasingly wary of a bidding war with Liverpool.

The Anfield club are in pole position to sign Nunez, and while Manchester United would love to have the 22-year-old at Old Trafford, they understand that the chase may be fruitless.

With an array of areas they wish to address this summer, this is a battle the Red Devils seem ready to bypass.

Nunez transfer latest

Liverpool are confident in landing the rising Uruguayan star as an attacking replacement for Sadio Mane, who appears on the brink of a transfer to Bayern Munich.

They've made Nunez their top priority and are prepared to pay a club-record fee of more than £75 million ($94m) to land him.

After sneaking ahead of Tottenham in January to snap up Luis Diaz, Liverpool are eager to beat any rival that stands in their way for Nunez.

The Benfica player scored 26 league goals and six European goals this term, enough to put him on Manchester United's radar.

Despite appearing set to turn their attention away from Nunez, striker is still a position the Red Devils would like to address in some capacity in the coming months, GOAL has been told.

Who will Man Utd turn to?

Unlike the Nunez situation, which Manchester United have swiftly soured on, they are preparing for a drawn-out pursuit of Barcelona's Frenkie de Jong this summer and haven't given up on taking him to Old Trafford.

Indeed, GOAL understands the club have now officially opened talks with Barcelona over De Jong, though they are posturing as unafraid to walk away because other options on the table.

Leeds' Kalvin Phillips and West Ham's Declan Rice are also seen as possible targets, though they could carry inflated transfer fees as England players.

In total, manager Erik ten Hag wants to make five signings in his first transfer window at the club.