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Liverpool looks to have avoided making a final payment to Benfica for Darwin Nunez ahead of a potential exit for the striker this summer.

The Uruguay international looks likely to be departing Anfield after three years, having not been able to live up to the expectations following his signing in 2022.

Upon his arrival from Portugal, Nunez could have become Liverpool’s record signing, with the deal to bring him from Benfica having the potential to rise to around $114 million after paying an initial $85M.

That fee has been a big talking point over the last few months, with reports in Portugal suggesting Liverpool was avoiding starting Nunez toward the end of the 2024/25 season.

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The 25-year-old’s last start came against Southampton back in March before he was restricted to eight more substitute appearances in the subsequent Premier League and Champions League fixtures.

It was claimed that had Nunez started any of those games, Liverpool would have been forced to make another payment to Benfica as part of the add-ons included in the 2022 deal, although Arne Slot denied that was playing any part in his selections.

“It’s completely new to me, and I’ve said many times that I’m working at a club where it’s really nice to work," Slot said in April.

Darwin Nunez's last start for Liverpool came back in March.

It might be true, but if a journalist says it we have to balance it.”

Despite Slot’s comments, new reports coming out of Portugal suggest Liverpool did indeed manage to avoid making another payment to Benfica, with the Reds looking to have made a big saving ahead of Nunez’s potential exit this summer.

According to A Bola (via Sport Witness), Liverpool managed to avoid making a $5.7M payment based on starts, bringing the total cost of Nunez’s transfer to $96.7M.

Had all bonuses involved been activated, the deal could have reached a total of $113.9M, meaning the Reds may have managed to save $17.2M on the deal.

As such, that would mean the club’s record signing remains Virgil van Dijk, with the defender having cost $101.5M back in January 2018.

With Liverpool being heavily linked with a move for a striker this summer, it seems likely Nunez will leave this summer