Liverpool have confirmed the departure of Uruguay striker Darwin Nunez, who has completed a move to Saudi Arabian giants Al-Hilal. The 25-year-old signed a three-year contract with the Saudi Pro League side in a deal reportedly worth £46.3 million ($62 million).
Al-Hilal, the most successful club in Saudi Arabia, had been looking to add another marquee name to their squad after parting ways with Brazilian star Neymar in January. The club had previously pursued Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes and was also linked with former Napoli forward Victor Osimhen.
Nunez joined Liverpool with high expectations and showed moments of quality, but he never fully established himself as the team’s first-choice striker. He scored 40 goals in 143 matches, contributing to the Reds’ Premier League triumph last season. However, in 2025 he started just once in the league and managed only seven goals across 47 games in all competitions.
Liverpool’s attacking reinforcements this summer including Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz, as well as reported interest in Newcastle’s Alexander Isak – left Nunez’s future at Anfield in doubt. His move follows a growing trend of top European players heading to Saudi Arabia since Cristiano Ronaldo’s switch to Al Nassr in 2022, joining the likes of Karim Benzema, Sadio Mane and Riyad Mahrez.
Al-Hilal, coached by two-time Champions League runner-up Simone Inzaghi, already features notable names such as Kalidou Koulibaly, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Joao Cancelo and Aleksandar Mitrovic. The club, which has won a record 19 Saudi league titles and four Asian Champions League trophies, finished second to Al-Ittihad last season but famously defeated Manchester City in the Club World Cup.