Image Credits: Imago Images
Darwin Nunez’s first season in Saudi Arabia has taken a dramatic turn, with the former Liverpool striker now frozen out of Al‑Hilal’s Saudi Pro League squad for the remainder of the campaign. What was billed as a confidence‑restoring move has now gone pear-shaped to say the least.
Nunez left Liverpool last summer after a frustrating 2024/25 title‑winning season in which he started only eight league games under Arne Slot. Al‑Hilal pounced, paying around £46m and handing the 26‑year‑old a contract to 2028 as they looked for a marquee No.9 to dominate the Roshn Saudi League and Asia.
The real flashpoint came with the mid‑season arrival of Karim Benzema from rivals Al‑Ittihad, a move that forced Simone Inzaghi into a brutal foreign‑player decision. Saudi Pro League rules allow only eight foreign players born before 2003 to be registered in a 25‑man domestic squad, and Benzema took the final slot.
With Yassine Bounou, Rúben Neves, Kalidou Koulibaly, Theo Hernández, Sergej Milinković‑Savić, Malcom and Marcos Leonardo already occupying places, Núñez and ex‑Arsenal defender Pablo Marí were the ones sacrificed. Manager Inzaghi described it as a “difficult” but unavoidable call, claiming that both players “knows the restrictions on registering foreign players” and had to inform them calmly they were out for the league run‑in
Now Fabrizio Romano has stressed that the former Liverpool man will almost certainly see a move in the summer window.
“I keep telling you Darwin Nunez is going to be a big topic in the summer transfer window. He is now out of the Al-Hilal sqaud for the Saudi Pro League, only playing in the Asian Champions League.”
“Darwin is not happy at all about the situation, he can’t be happy to be out of the squad at Al-Hilal. It’s a technical decision after Benzema joined, and you can imagine a big player like Nunez will not be happy.”
“He could be back in Europe in the summer, it’s a possibility. Follow the Darwin Nunez situation in the next few months, because there will be movements. There are several clubs already looking at him. From Europe but not only. ”
“It will be Darwin to decide, in Saudi the salary is something different while in Europe it would have to be reduced.”
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