Last summer, Liverpool agreed a £46M deal with Al Hilal to sell striker Darwin Nuñez to the Saudi Pro League side following three seasons in England that had seen the Uruguayan often impress with his physical ability but struggle to find consistency in front of goal.
It’s a move that, outside helping balance Liverpool’s books a little in the midst of a big spending summer, hasn’t worked out well for anyone. Liverpool have found themselves short in attack and there’s a solid case the drop in production
from superstar Mohamed Salah is linked to the departure of the hard working Nuñez.
The player meanwhile didn’t find adjusting to the desert easy, and in January Nuñez found himself frozen out completely when Al Hilal signed Karim Benzema and chose to leave the Uruguayan unregistered to make room for their new striker signing.
As for Al Hilal, well, they agreed to pay a guaranteed £46M to Liverpool for a player it turned out they didn’t especially want or need and are paying Nuñez upwards of £400k per week—double his reported Liverpool salary—to train with the reserves and sit in the stands on matchday watching the team play.
Now, widespread reports have Al Hilal and Nuñez agreeing to terminate his contract so that he can depart the Saudi club in the summer and, if things go to plan for the player, return to major European football. As of yet, there are no solid reports of potential destinations.
A return to England and the Premier League, though, remains unlikely and most might expect a move to Spain or Italy. Turkey will also likely end up discussed as an option, but upwards of £20M of annual salary on the table to get out of Saudi, it seems a clear case of a player prioritizing football over money.
