Darwin Nunez Leaves Liverpool for Al-Hilal in £46.3m Move | OneFootball

Liverpool Part Ways with Darwin Nunez as Al-Hilal Seal £46.3m Deal

Darwin Nunez’s turbulent Liverpool chapter has closed, with the Uruguayan striker completing a three-year move to Saudi Pro League giants Al-Hilal. The deal, worth 53 million euros (£46.3m), signals the end of a spell that promised much but often veered between chaos and brilliance.

Liverpool confirmed the news on Saturday, adding in a statement: “Everybody at the club would like to thank Darwin for his contributions and wish him and his family all the best for the future.”

The 26-year-old has already linked up with his new teammates on their pre-season camp in Germany, marking a fresh start after three seasons at Anfield.

From Benfica Stardom to Anfield’s Mixed Fortunes

Signed from Benfica in June 2022 for an initial £64m, Nunez arrived on Merseyside as the spearhead for a new era. His raw power and unorthodox movement earned him the nickname ‘Captain Chaos’ from Jamie Carragher. Yet, that unpredictability proved both his charm and his undoing.

Photo IMAGO

In 143 appearances, Nunez scored 40 goals. There were flashes of the forward Liverpool thought they had secured – his match-winning brace at Newcastle in August 2023, a stoppage-time strike against Nottingham Forest in March 2024, and two late goals against Brentford in January that kept the title push alive.

Still, consistency eluded him. He started just eight Premier League matches during last season’s title triumph and was increasingly used from the bench under new head coach Arne Slot.

Numbers That Tell the Story

Over three campaigns, Nunez managed 25 Premier League goals in 95 games – 46 of them as a substitute. His debut season brought 15 goals in all competitions, his second improved to 18, but the final campaign under Slot saw him score just seven times from 47 outings.

Those numbers paint the picture of a player whose moments of impact were too sporadic for a club with Liverpool’s ambitions. It is little surprise that Slot has opted to seek alternative attacking options, with speculation mounting over a potential move for Newcastle’s Alexander Isak after an initial £110m bid was rejected.

A Career That Divided Opinion

For some, Nunez will be remembered for the chaos, the drama, and the occasional lightning strike of quality. For others, his time at Liverpool will be marked by the opportunities that slipped away – sometimes by inches, as in that glaring miss against Newcastle in December 2024.

Either way, Nunez leaves England as a Premier League winner, a player who thrilled and frustrated in equal measure, and whose legacy will spark debate on Merseyside for years to come.