Darwin Nunez's Saudi Arabia Stint: From Star Signing to Afterthought

Darwin Nunez arrived in Saudi Arabia as a statement signing. He is leaving as an expensive afterthought.

Al Hilal paid €53 million to prise him from Liverpool last summer, a figure that looked like sharp business compared to the package the Reds had agreed with Benfica four years earlier – a deal that could have climbed to £85m. Twelve months on, Nunez is walking away on a free, his future up in the air and his reputation under scrutiny, with Newcastle United and Chelsea both keeping a close eye on developments.

For a club of Al Hilal’s stature to cut ties so abruptly, there had to be more than a simple loss of faith.

Benzema arrives, Nunez disappears

The turning point came in the winter window, and it had a name: Karim Benzema.

When the Frenchman completed his move to Al Hilal in early February, the numbers game began. The Saudi Pro League’s foreign-player rule allows each club a maximum of 10 overseas players – eight over the age of 20 and two under-20s. Someone had to give way.

Nunez was that someone.

Al Hilal withdrew his league registration to make space, a brutal administrative decision that underlined his sliding status. This was not about attitude or fitness. It was about hierarchy and hard choices in a squad suddenly overloaded with foreign talent.

The contrast on the pitch only sharpened the logic. Before his exclusion, Nunez had produced nine goals and five assists in 22 appearances. Decent, but not devastating. Benzema, arriving mid-season, needed just 12 games fewer to match both tallies. Same goals, same assists, 10 fewer outings. When a Ballon d’Or winner hits the ground running like that, the margins for everyone else shrink fast.

The pressure finally told. Nunez went from marquee arrival to collateral damage.

From Champions League brace to the sidelines

The timing could hardly be worse for the 26-year-old.

His last competitive club appearance came on February 16. He had signed off with a reminder of what he can do: a brace in the final group-stage match of the AFC Champions League, when he was still eligible to play. It looked like a platform.

Instead, it became a full stop.

By the time Al Hilal reached the round of 16 in April, Nunez was out of the squad altogether. No minutes, no rhythm, no chance to build a case on the pitch. For a forward entering what should be his peak years, the stall has been dramatic.

World Cup worries and a Premier League lifeline

All of this unfolds with a World Cup looming this summer, turning a club problem into an international headache.

Uruguay cannot ignore a striker of Nunez’s profile, but they cannot ignore his lack of football either. He featured only as a late substitute in friendlies against England and Algeria at the end of March. Those cameos should be just enough to keep him on the plane, yet they also underline how far he has slipped from automatic-starter territory.

So Nunez stands at a crossroads.

Al Hilal have moved on. The Saudi adventure, costly and brief, is over. A free transfer now changes the equation for Europe’s recruiters: no fee, just wages and belief. Newcastle United and Chelsea are already circling, sensing an opportunity to revive a career that has stalled for reasons as much structural as personal.

The next decision will define him. Was Saudi Arabia a detour, or the start of a slide he cannot halt?