Liverpool could incur a significant fee if Darwin Nunez makes one more start this season.

Liverpool may have to pay millions in add-on fees if Darwin Nunez features in any of their remaining five fixtures this season. Since scoring in a 3-1 victory over Southampton in early March, the Uruguayan forward has spent most of his time on the bench, which could turn out to be his final goal for the club amid ongoing uncertainty over his future.

The Reds paid an upfront fee of £64 million to sign Nunez from Benfica in the summer of 2022. Their agreement included up to £21.5 million in potential bonuses. Benfica already earned £4.3 million when Nunez made over 10 combined starts in the Premier League and Champions League, and another £4.3 million after he surpassed 25 starts. According to A Bola, a further £4.3 million is due once Nunez hits 50 starts—something he is just one game away from achieving. The decision to leave him out of the starting lineup may not be coincidental, as Arne Slot appears to be avoiding triggering that next payment.

So far this month, Nunez has only seen 38 minutes of play and remained on the bench during the recent 1-0 win over Leicester City. Should Liverpool manage to sidestep the next add-on fee, his total cost would remain around £73 million. Despite scoring 40 goals in 138 appearances, critics argue he hasn’t fully met expectations. He netted 15 times in his first season and 18 in his second, but he seems likely to finish this campaign with fewer than 10 goals, as Slot appears to favor other options compared to former manager Jurgen Klopp.

With exits from both the Champions League and FA Cup, Liverpool’s only remaining fixtures are five league games, and they are comfortably ahead by 13 points. A win against Tottenham on Sunday could secure the title for Slot in his debut season and allow him to experiment with squad rotation in the final matches.

However, Nunez may not benefit from that rotation, especially if Liverpool are intentionally holding him back to avoid paying another bonus to Benfica. After three seasons at Anfield, the 25-year-old is expected to move on in the upcoming transfer window.