Darwin Nunez has endured something of a nightmare since leaving Liverpool to join Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League. The former Reds striker was sold for £46million last summer, having won the Premier League but ultimately failed to meet expectations at Anfield since his blockbuster move in 2022.
The 26-year-old will return to England on Friday, where he is expected to face the Three Lions at Wembley Stadium for Uruguay. Nunez was called up by Marcelo Bielsa for the upcoming friendlies against England and Algeria despite his club career coming to a crashing halt.
He had managed just six goals in 17 appearances in the Saudi top flight until February of this year. His inconsistent form led Al-Hilal to dip into the transfer market and sign another high-profile striker - Real Madrid legend and Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema - from Al-Ittihad in a major winter window twist.
Not only did Benzema take Nunez’s place in the starting line-up, the Uruguayan was also removed from Al-Hilal’s domestic squad list altogether last month. Saudi clubs are limited to just eight foreign players born before 2003 in their domestic 25-man roster.
Simone Inzaghi deemed Benzema more important to his plans than Nunez. The Al-Hilal manager explained his call by saying: "The decision was difficult but that's the job of a coach. He makes many decisions every day, even in every training session. Nunez and Pablo Mari are good players. I want them in all competitions but we know the restrictions on registering foreign players."
There was speculation following Benzema’s arrival in early February that Darwin sought to leave the club after just six months. He was linked with Fenerbahce and Flamengo but no deal materialised, meaning he is instead expected to leave in the summer.
Despite being left out of Saudi Pro League fixtures, Nunez remains fully registered in the Asian Champions League. His last appearance in the competition came on February 16, where he played the full 90 minutes against Al-Wahda.
Nunez scored both goals in a 2-1 victory and sent the owners a message with a curious celebration. The former Reds star turned around and, while walking backwards, stared towards the box where Al-Hilal’s owner sits, holding his gaze for several seconds with a wry smile before looking away and muttering something under his breath.
He has not played a competitive game for the club in over a month due to Al-Hilal’s scheduled AFC Champions League last-16 games against Al-Sadd being postponed, as a result of the ongoing regional conflict.
Nunez earns £20m-per-year at Al Hilal, which equates to almost £400,000-per-week in wages. He has registered nine goals and five assists in 24 appearances across all competitions this season.
The Uruguayan does not have any photos of himself while playing for Al-Hilal on his Instagram page, despite having several from his Liverpool career.
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