AL-HILAL AGREE £46.3M NUNEZ DEAL! SAUDI GIANTS SET TO SIGN LIVERPOOL STRIKER
Liverpool striker Darwin Núñez is on the verge of completing a move to Saudi Arabia after Al-Hilal agreed a €53 million (£46.3m) deal for the Uruguayan forward. The 26-year-old is now expected to undergo a medical before finalizing his transfer to the Saudi Pro League runners-up.
Núñez arrived at Anfield in the summer of 2022 from Benfica for an initial fee of £64 million, but has failed to consistently live up to expectations. Despite tallying 40 goals in 143 appearances, the forward started just eight Premier League games during Liverpool’s title-winning 2024/25 campaign and managed only seven goals across the season.
A prolific pre-season — including a 20-minute hat-trick against Stoke — came too late to change his trajectory under new manager Arne Slot. The club sees his departure as an opportunity to reinvest, with Newcastle’s Alexander Isak remaining a top target. Liverpool had an opening £110m bid rejected, with the Magpies reportedly demanding closer to £150m for the Swedish international.
The sale of Núñez boosts Liverpool’s already active summer business. The Reds have brought in German star Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen in a £116m club-record deal and French striker Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt for £79m. Outgoings have also generated significant income, including Luis Díaz’s £65.5m switch to Bayern Munich and Tyler Morton’s £15m move to Lyon. Harvey Elliott is also attracting interest and could follow them out the door.
Al-Hilal, led by former Inter Milan boss Simone Inzaghi, finished second in Saudi Arabia last season and boast an ambitious squad featuring Joao Cancelo, Ruben Neves, Aleksandar Mitrović, Kalidou Koulibaly, and Yassine Bounou.
Though Núñez had flashes of brilliance — including a decisive double against Brentford in January — he has often struggled in front of goal. His 25 Premier League goals came with a significant underperformance of his xG by 8.6, the second-worst figure in the league over the past three years.
His departure brings an end to a mixed Anfield spell and marks another high-profile European exit to the Saudi Pro League.
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