Darwin Núñez’s future at Liverpool remains up in the air, with international transfer developments potentially bringing a quick resolution.
The Uruguayan striker is once again being linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League — this time with an increased sense of urgency.
Although Núñez had initially expressed commitment to new manager Arne Slot’s plans for the 2024/25 campaign, his return of seven goals across all competitions was a notable drop from the 18 he scored the previous season and the 15 goals he registered during his debut year under Jurgen Klopp.
Despite his struggles in front of goal, Liverpool rejected an offer from Saudi Arabia in January, hoping to keep their title chase on track.
Núñez last started a game on March 8 against Southampton — also his most recent goal — and played only a minor part in the title run-in. Now, with transfer speculation swirling again, Liverpool must make decisions quickly.
As talkSPORT reports, Núñez is one of two players Al-Hilal are seriously considering as they hunt for a marquee signing before this summer’s FIFA Club World Cup.
So far, Al-Hilal have been rebuffed by Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes and Napoli’s Victor Osimhen — the latter scoring 37 goals on loan at Galatasaray in 2024/25 — and Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyökeres has also reportedly turned them down.
Gyökeres, who has an eye-catching record of 97 goals in 102 matches over the past two seasons, is on Liverpool’s radar as well and is believed to favour a move to the Premier League.
Al-Hilal must complete any incoming transfers by Tuesday night to register them for the tournament, which could give Liverpool leverage if they hope to recoup some of the £85 million spent on Núñez in 2022.
Especially since the Saudi club was willing to pay £100 million for Fernandes and £63 million for other targets.
For now, the Anfield hierarchy is under no immediate pressure. Their focus is on potential additions like Florian Wirtz and Milos Kerkez, but once the transfer window officially opens on June 16, signing a new striker could move up their list of priorities.
