Saikat Mandal

Mon 11 April 2022 13:30, UK

Benfica could reportedly demand a fee close to £125m for their talisman striker Darwin Nunez amid interest from West Ham.

According to O Jogo (11 April, page 16), the 22-year-old striker is likely to leave either at the end of the season or soon after.

A host of clubs including West Ham are vying for his signature but he won’t come cheap after yet another spectacular campaign.

With 31 goals already this season, Darwin has been hailed as a “goal king.” He is fourth in the leading scoring chart just behind Robert Lewandowski (46), Karim Benzema (37) and Sebastien Haller (33).

Benfica had hoped that interested clubs would pay close to £100million for him, the amount they received for the transfer of Joao Felix.

Rui Costa, the club president, could now demand a high transfer fee for the striker who has a £125m release clause in his contract.

No chance

Nunez is a fabulous player and he has shown his class in European games this season.

The young striker recently scored in the Champions League first-leg clash against Liverpool, and he is the type of player that the Hammers must aim to bring in the summer.

The Hammers are likely to face strong competition from a host of Premier League clubs for Nunez, but it is certainly worth fighting for.

Obviously, Benfica will try to squeeze maximum profit out of the deal but not many clubs in Europe would be willing to pay such a high transfer fee for the striker.

However, anything between £50-60 million should be a good value for Nunez.

Signing a striker in the summer is a top priority for West Ham irrespective of where they finish this season.

Michail Antonio is the club’s lone striker and he has suffered a severe dip in form, especially in the second half of the season.

In other West Ham United news, Yaya Toure has said he would be open to helping this Irons star improve to the next level.

Be sure to follow West Ham Zone on Facebook for 24/7 updates on the Hammers plus more exclusive interviews with Frank McAvennie