Liverpool Striker, Darwin Nunez Leaves Liverpool To Join Al Hilal

Liverpool Striker, Darwin Nunez reached the end of his Liverpool career as the striker joined Al-Hilal on a three-year contract on Saturday.

The Saudi Pro League side secured a deal worth 53m euros (£46.3m) for the 26-year-old.

Recall that Nunez joined Liverpool in June 2022 from Portuguese side Benfica for an initial fee of £64m, arriving amid high expectations.

He scored 40 goals in 143 appearances for the Reds but only started eight Premier League games during their title-winning campaign last season.

A Liverpool statement read: “Everybody at the club would like to thank Darwin for his contributions and wish him and his family all the best for the future.”

Nunez has joined the Al-Hilal squad on their pre-season training camp in Germany.

His departure may have an effect on Liverpool’s pursuit of Sweden striker Alexander Isak, with Newcastle having turned down an opening offer of £110m.

Nunez leaves Liverpool having been unable to reach the heights it was hoped he would following his big-money move from Benfica.

There were moments of euphoria that will be fondly remembered by many on Merseyside: his late double to give 10-man Liverpool victory at Newcastle in August 2023, a 99th-minute winner against Nottingham Forest in March 2024 and two added-time goals against Brentford in January of this year, which helped to ensure Nunez leaves England as a Premier League winner.

Meanwhile, there will be differing opinions over whether that is enough to override the frustration felt by many over his inconsistency in making such contributions – which convinced Liverpool head coach Arne Slot to seek other options.

The man referred to as ‘Captain Chaos’ by ex-Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher struggled to hold down a regular starting role throughout his three seasons at Anfield.

After scoring 15 goals from 42 games in all competitions in his first season, his tally increased to 18 from 54 during his second, but Nunez was used less often after Slot succeeded Jurgen Klopp in 2024.

He scored just seven times from 47 appearances last term and, in all, managed 25 goals from 95 Premier League games, although 46 of those appearances came as a substitute.

Nunez’s latest transfer fee is significantly less than the £85m package – including add-ons, of which not all were activated – that was required to sign him in 2022.

He signed a six-year deal on the back of a 2021-22 campaign in which he scored 34 times in 41 appearances for Benfica, including twice in Champions League matches against Liverpool.

Klopp warned it was important for the club and supporters to recognise that Nunez was a “work in progress”, as evidenced in his first few appearances when he scored in back-to-back games but was sent off on his home debut for headbutting Fulham’s Joachim Andersen.

The late interventions from Nunez which endeared him to supporters sporadically hinted at his latent talent, and were also a theme of his stay.

However, having fallen out of favour towards the end of Klopp’s reign, a summer 2025 exit appeared increasingly likely when Slot criticised Nunez’s work-rate after the forward allowed a poor miss to affect the rest of his performance against Aston Villa in February.

“Players miss chances – that I can accept,” Slot said. “What was a bit harder for me to accept was his behaviour after that chance, and by behaviour I mean it got too much in his head, where he wasn’t the usual Darwin that works his butt off and makes sure he helps the team.”

Nunez, whose game is underpinned by energy and enthusiasm, ended the season having made just eight league starts, scoring five goals.

His exit comes after Liverpool’s signings of French forward Hugo Ekitike for £79m and club-record £116m playmaker Florian Wirtz this window, as Slot rebuilds the team before his second season.