Liverpool have agreed a £46.3m deal with Al-Hilal to sell Darwin Nunez
Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez.
Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez.(Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)
Liverpool have agreed a deal with Al-Hilal to sell Darwin Nunez after the striker asked to leave the club. The package will see the Reds receive €53m (£46.3m), plus bonuses.
The Premier League champions will now look to sign a replacement for the forward, assuming the deal is completed, as speculation about Alexander Isak’s Newcastle United future continues.
Nunez and his representatives had reiterated their desire for a transfer this summer, having previously pushed for Liverpool to act upon serious and significant interest received in January - including from the Saudi Pro League. The Reds rejected such approaches at the time as they prioritised their pursuit of a 20th league title.
But with Nunez still wishing to move on this summer, his three-year stint at Anfield is now drawing to a close. With a deal now agreed with Al-Hilal and the player having agreed personal terms, he will fly out to Germany to undergo a medical and finalise the switch.
The Uruguay international's transfer will see Liverpool edge close to the £200m mark for sales this summer, having already sold Trent Alexander-Arnold, Caoimhin Kelleher, Nat Phillips, Jarell Quansah, Luis Diaz and Tyler Morton for £146.5m.
The Reds rejected a bid from Napoli for Nunez earlier in the window, not only because it fell below Liverpool’s valuation but also because the proposed payment terms would have deferred any funds until the summer of 2026, and been paid over a five-year period.
Despite seeing a switch to Serie A fail to materialise, Nunez returned to pre-season in excellent shape and has impressed throughout. The 26-year-old has scored five goals from four outings, including against Athletic Bilbao in what is set to be his final appearance in a Reds shirt.
Liverpool paid a guaranteed €75m to Benfica when signing the forward in 2022, with that deal including additional bonuses. He made 143 appearances during his time with the Reds, returning 40 goals and 22 assists.
However, Nunez struggled to convince consistently under new head coach Arne Slot last season as he found starting opportunities hard to come by. Making 47 appearances in all competitions, scoring seven goals, he started just 17 times with only eight of those coming in the Premier League.
With the Uruguayan now set to move on, Liverpool will explore the market in pursuit of an additional attacking player - but only if key criteria is met.
It’s understood that this would include but not be restricted to the desired player being of sufficient quality to start for Slot’s men, represent fair market value and be realistically attainable if the Reds were to bolster their ranks.
However, Liverpool are believed to be willing to keep their powder dry if the right player is not forthcoming - having previously resisted signing players for the sake of it - in keeping with their longstanding approach to player recruitment.
Rio Ngumoha and Trey Nyoni are now considered genuine first team options, while the versatility of Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott - who is in talks with RB Leipzig - ensure the Reds would still boast attacking depth following Nunez’s departure.
However, Nunez’s looming exit will only further fuel speculation about Liverpool’s interest in Isak.
The Reds saw an £110m bid rejected by Newcastle on Friday, with it understood that club bosses considered it futile to return with an improved offer, given the swiftness and clarity of the Magpies’ rejection.
Newcastle are still pursuing new attacking options of their own, while Isak was made to train alone on Wednesday as the Magpies squad reported back to training following their pre-season tour of the Far East.
The Swede has made it clear that he wishes to leave St. James’ Park with Liverpool his preferred destination of choice.
But having already had one bid rejected for Isak, Newcastle’s asking-price would have to represent fair market value for the Reds to return with an improved offer for the wantaway striker.