Darwin Nunez is reportedly ‘open’ to joining Al-Hilal after a difficult season under Arne Slot at Liverpool. Any potential exit for the struggling forward could help to recoup funds during a big-spending summer at Anfield.
Nunez started only eight Premier League games last season. Slot preferred several other stars, including Diogo Jota, Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz, for the centre-forward role. Despite scoring and assisting in his final start of the campaign, a 3-1 win over Southampton on March 8, the Uruguay international played in only 158 minutes of the last eight Premier League matches for which he was available.
A departure for the 25-year-old seems likely. Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal are reported to have expressed an interest.
According to Foot Mercato, Nunez is ‘open’ to moving to the Saudi Pro League runners-up. Al-Hilal were also linked with Bruno Fernandes before the Manchester United captain openly turned them down.
Nunez has struggled to live up to the heights that his reported £85million fee promised. That was Liverpool’s club-record fee when he arrived in 2022, but it now seems likely that the milestone will be smashed by the impending arrival of Florian Wirtz.
An exit for Nunez may aid Liverpool in completing a busy summer without risking a breach of profit and sustainability rules. Deals for Frimpong, Wirtz and left-back Milos Kerkez could cost the Reds at least a combined £180m. A new centre-forward and a back-up centre-back have also been linked.
Fellow forward Gakpo has also been linked with an exit from Anfield but played down that speculation this week. Bayern Munich are said to have been interested in a move for the Dutchman, who also found himself pushed down the pecking order last season.
But on international duty, Gakpo distanced himself from those rumours and said: “I haven’t heard anything about it myself. I’m closing myself off from it. Maybe my agent has heard something, but I’m focusing on myself.”
Liverpool are expected to be among the busiest Premier League clubs this summer, despite winning the league for the first time in five years. Manchester City and Arsenal are both expected to strengthen their own squads by spending big.
City are closing in on a deal for Wolves star Rayan Ait-Nouri, while Arsenal should soon be able to complete a move for Martin Zubimendi. The Spain international reneged on joining Liverpool 12 months ago.