Liverpool have received fresh contact from Saudi Arabia over a potential exit for Darwin Nunez – but the No.9’s future still appears far from settled.
As reported by David Ornstein for The Athletic, Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal reached out to us on Monday about a possible deal for the 25-year-old, who scored 40 goals over three seasons at Anfield.
The report explains that our response made it clear that any deal would need to start above the £59.5m bid we rejected from Al Nassr in January – a figure now considered the minimum starting point if an exit is to materialise.
Our stance is unchanged, even after a frustrating campaign where the Uruguay international netted just five Premier League goals.
Crucially, Ornstein notes that the player himself is “thought to favour staying in Europe — Spain and Italy being a priority,” with Atletico Madrid named as one of the interested clubs.
That preference may complicate any Saudi move, particularly given Nunez’s desire to prove himself in a top European league after a mixed spell in England since joining from Benfica in 2022.
Liverpool tell Al Hilal what it takes to sign Darwin Nunez
Darwin Nunez scores against Brentford
(Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
While it’s clear we’re not actively pushing our No.9 out of the door, the door isn’t shut either.
With the seeming public fallout between striker and head coach too, it feels clear that the Uruguayan won’t be a Liverpool player next season.
The fact Al Hilal were “made aware about the conditions of a move” shows there’s some openness, but only if the price and structure are right.
That £60m benchmark will be an important marker – and we know from reports that avoiding certain appearance clauses last season may have helped us keep potential add-ons at bay.
Nunez only made 49 starts for us in all competitions, which is said to have prevented further payments on top of the original £64m fee (via Sky Sports).
With Saudi clubs ready to spend and interest from La Liga intensifying, the coming weeks will be telling.
Our recent sales of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Caoimhin Kelleher show we’re open to movement this summer – but only on our terms.
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