Liverpool risk a £4.3m payment to Benfica if they hand Darwin Nunez one more Premier League start this season before the campaign closes.
With the Premier League trophy in sight, Liverpool face a hidden cost that could dent their budget. The 25-year-old Uruguayan forward arrived at Anfield last summer with performance-based add-ons dangling like financial landmines. Should he start one more match beyond his current tally, the Reds will trigger an eye-watering extra fee. Red supporters have noticed his drop in minutes since the winter break. The clause underscores the financial chessboard modern transfers have become.
Nunez joined Liverpool for an initial £64 million fee, with structured bonuses set to push the deal to a potential £85 million. That potential sum would rewrite the club’s transfer record books. These conditions include appearance milestones and goal targets, mirroring modern deals where clubs hedge risk with performance-based payments. If Liverpool meet every benchmark, Nunez will eclipse Virgil van Dijk’s £75 million move in 2018. However, his sporadic starts this season may spare the Reds from the full outlay.
Since January, Nunez has only started once in the Premier League, and that solitary outing came against Southampton at Anfield. Overall, he has amassed 25 appearances this season—eight from the outset and 17 as a substitute. None of those starts have come in the last two fixtures. Despite wide acclaim for his pace and power, manager Arne Slot has favoured others when picking his starting XI. The 25-year-old’s metrics remain impressive, but form and fitness have kept him on the bench.
Financial details from A Bola reveal that Liverpool made incremental payments for Nunez’s first ten and 25 league starts. The next threshold—a 50th start—carries an extra £4.3 million obligation. With Nunez currently on eight league starts, reaching that milestone requires Slot to weigh each call carefully. Passing 50 starts would push the striker’s transfer package to approximately £89.3 million, making him one of Europe’s costliest forwards.
Slot has rotated a forward line built around Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo, with Diogo Jota also featuring prominently. That front three delivered both width and depth, leaving Nunez on the sidelines once more. Against West Ham, he withdrew before kick-off, citing a back complaint. He then remained unused on the bench at Leicester City as Slot opted for defensive reinforcement with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Harvey Elliott late on.
That substitution paid dividends. Alexander-Arnold delivered the decisive blow less than two minutes after entering the fray, firing home from the edge of the box. The right-back, now 26, looks set to depart for Real Madrid this summer, capping his Liverpool career with a memorable finale. Scoring that goal earned him a standing ovation from the Anfield crowd. Slot praised his professionalism and noted the club’s unwavering support for every player who wears the shirt.
Despite speculation over his future, Nunez still holds value for Liverpool’s title charge. With just five league games remaining, the manager must weigh the striker’s potential impact against the financial hit. If Nunez returns to the starting line-up during the final month, the ripple effect could extend to next season’s recruitment budget. Scoring in key fixtures would boost the Reds’ momentum, but ticking that clause carries long-term cost implications.
The final stretch of the campaign presents a two-fold challenge. Liverpool must maintain their title push while navigating contractual complexities. Slot’s squad rotation strategy has come under scrutiny in recent weeks, but this clause adds a fresh dimension to team-selection dilemmas. Each decision on Nunez’s minutes now carries extra weight, turning tactical planning into a financial calculation as well.
Ultimately, Liverpool’s handling of Nunez’s game time will shape both their season outcome and transfer ledger. Balancing on-field success with sound financial strategy remains Slot’s task. Whether the Uruguayan regains a starting berth or plays out his minutes from the bench, the repercussions of that choice could resonate long after the final whistle. The club’s hierarchy will watch closely as each tick of appearance count inches them closer to another multimillion-pound payout.
