Darwin Nunez wants to stay in Europe this summer, despite Liverpool receiving yet more interest from Saudi Arabia.
The Uruguayan looks likely to leave Anfield after three years with the Reds, during which time he has failed to live up to the expectations that followed his big-money move from Benfica in 2022.
Nunez scored just seven goals in 47 appearances during the 2024/25 season as he found himself sliding further and further down the pecking order under Arne Slot, with Luis Diaz even being preferred as the No.9 on a number of occasions. His last start for the club came back in March amid speculation of Liverpool avoiding making a final payment to Benfica, with an exit now looking a near certainty.
Slot and Richard Hughes have already begun overhauling their squad for next season’s Premier League title defense, with Florian Wirtz looking set to join Jeremie Frimpong in a record transfer deal, while Milos Kerkez could follow soon after.
Nunez, meanwhile, could prove to be a useful source of income, with Liverpool claimed to have set an asking price of around $95 million.
A move to Saudi Arabia could be possible, with The Athletic reporting that Al-Hilal contacted Liverpool on Monday to learn the conditions of a potential move for the 25-year-old.
Liverpool forward Darwin Nunez
Liverpool forward Darwin Nunez has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia (Image: Getty Images)
The Reds rejected an offer worth around $80M from Al-Nassr back in January, with that figure suggested to be the minimum bar should another side want to sign Nunez this summer.
The striker though is said to be favoring staying in Europe, with Spain and Italy being suggested as his priorities. Atletico Madrid has been linked with a move for Nunez, with Liverpool having also shown an interest in one of the Spanish side’s players in Julian Alvarez.
Nunez’s stance comes after Foot Mercato claimed he was open to a move to Al-Hilal, with the Saudi side said to be turning its attention to him after being turned down by Victor Osimhen.
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Nunez has already been named as a potential target by the Pro League’s head of scouting, Thomas Spring, who dropped the Liverpool star’s name into a discussion back in April.
"I think that the recruitment model will be a healthy balance between elite, world-class players," Spring told The Overlap. "So I still envisage a Mo Salah, a De Bruyne, a Darwin Nunez. I still envisage those players coming across.
"But I also envisage more emerging players like a Jhon Duran, for example, I see more younger players that are really operating successfully in leagues around Europe coming across. And that healthy balance being there.
"Then I also envisage that the ambition will still be there. So the goal of the SPL is to compete with Europe's top-five leagues. So whatever method to achieve that, whether that's staffing or facilities or player recruitment, medical, discipline, I envisage they will invest heavily into that. To come on par with Europe's top-five leagues."