Darwin Nunez reaches new agreement
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Darwin Nunez has endured a difficult debut season in Saudi Arabia with Al-Hilal and has now reached a new agreement. Image Credits: Imago ImagesDarwin Nunez’s move to Saudi Arabia was meant to be a fresh start after a frustrating spell at Liverpool, but the Uruguayan’s debut campaign at Al-Hilal has turned into a nightmare he probably didn’t see coming.The former Reds striker arrived in the summer with high expectations attached to his hefty price tag, only to find himself squeezed out of the picture in alarming fashion as the season has worn on.Things took a sharp turn back in January when Al-Hilal opted to leave Nunez off their registered Saudi Pro League squad list, severely limiting his domestic involvement.The 26-year-old kept playing in the AFC Champions League Elite, but with that competition now over, Nunez has effectively run out of football to play.
In fact, he hasn’t featured for the club since February 16 – almost three months without competitive minutes at club level – managing only brief cameos for Uruguay during March’s friendlies against England and Algeria.And now, according to a fresh report from El Observador, Nunez has reached an agreement with Al-Hilal’s ownership to leave the club permanently at the end of the season.They claim that talks over his exit are well advanced, with both parties agreeing to formally finalise the split once Al-Hilal’s title race and Saudi King’s Cup commitments are wrapped up.The arrival of Karim Benzema is reported to have been the decisive factor, with Inzaghi — backed by the club’s owners — pushing the call to freeze Nunez out of the local squad. To his credit, El Observador notes the striker has remained fully professional, training every day with the first team despite knowing he won’t kick another competitive ball for the club.On the destination front, several European clubs have already lodged interest.
Chelsea were linked two months ago, Juventus joined the race last month, and Italian media have floated a possible Milan approach, though nothing official has emerged there.The bigger worry is the 2026 World Cup. Nunez is a key piece of Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay project, but heading into a World Cup year on the back of three months without competitive football is far from ideal preparation Darwin Nunez