Darwin Nunez’s future at Liverpool remains uncertain, with international transfer activity possibly bringing a quick resolution.
The Uruguayan striker is once again being linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League — and this time, the situation appears more urgent.
Although Nunez had pledged his commitment to new head coach Arne Slot for the 2024/25 season, his output dropped significantly, scoring only seven goals across all competitions — a decline from the 18 he netted the season before and the 15 in his debut year under Jürgen Klopp.
Despite his dip in form, Liverpool turned down a Saudi offer for Nunez in January, hoping to keep their Premier League title challenge alive.
His last start — and last goal — came on March 8 against Southampton, and he played a limited role during the final stretch of the season. Now, Liverpool are once again facing transfer speculation, with little time to make decisions.
According to talkSPORT, Al-Hilal is seriously considering Nunez as one of two major signings ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup and is working quickly to close a deal.
So far, their efforts have failed, with Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes and Napoli’s Victor Osimhen both reportedly rejecting their advances.
Osimhen, who had a standout season on loan at Galatasaray with 37 goals in 2024/25, has previously been linked with Liverpool.
In addition, Portuguese outlet A Bola claims that Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres has also turned down Al-Hilal. The 27-year-old has an exceptional scoring record, with 97 goals in 102 games over the last two seasons, and is reportedly on Liverpool’s radar.
Gyokeres is said to prefer a move to the Premier League, which could work in Liverpool’s favour — though they would need to act fast.
Al-Hilal must complete their signings by Tuesday night to register them for the Club World Cup, adding urgency to the situation.
This time pressure could benefit Liverpool if they choose to recoup some of the £85 million they paid Benfica for Nunez in 2022 — particularly as Al-Hilal were reportedly willing to spend £100 million on Fernandes and £63 million on other striker targets.
Currently, Liverpool’s management is not in a rush. Their attention is on players like Florian Wirtz and Milos Kerkez, but once the transfer window opens on June 16, acquiring a new striker may become a priority.
