The possibility of Darwin Nunez returning to Liverpool Football Club this summer has been floated.
The Uruguayan international, who departed Anfield last summer for Al-Hilal, has been linked with a sensational return to Anfield.
Recent reporting suggests the striker would be open to leaving the Saudi Pro League side if an exit via mutual consent could be secured.
More to the point, he’d allegedly ‘like’ to move back to Liverpool if the option is on the table this summer.
If Andoni Iraola is looking for blood and thunder, he needs look no further than our former No.9.
Take a look at this viral clip re-shared by @TheImmortalKop on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday night (profanity warning).
"And he's off…" 😂 pic.twitter.com/wG2yPIcJCB
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) February 26, 2024
For context, Virgil van Dijk had scored a late winner (in the 118th minute) in the Carabao Cup final clash with Chelsea to win the trophy for Jurgen Klopp’s men.
Want more Empire of the Kop coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trust
Footage shows Nunez racing past a struggling Curtis Jones (limping down the steps with a foot brace) before leaping over the advertising hoardings to join in the euphoric celebrations.
Sheer, unadulterated passion and madness. And as we’ll all remember from the footballer’s mixed stay at the club, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
We’re struggling to believe the Saudi Pro League side will allow the striker to leave for nothing this summer, having forked out £46.3m to sign him from Liverpool last summer.
But if the reports of Darwin Nunez’s unhappiness with life in the Middle East are on the money, it’s perhaps an opportunity worth exploring.
We wonder whether Al-Hilal might consider a loan arrangement, which would allow Liverpool to navigate life without Hugo Ekitike – who’s likely to miss most of the season with an injury – without committing a transfer fee.
Likewise, there’d need to be some flexibility on the player’s end when it comes to wages, with a reported £400k-a-week salary in Saudi unlikely to be well-received by Anfield chiefs.
Assuming there’s a workaround for all that, it’s worth remembering that Nunez is more than used to the concept of high-octane football under Jurgen Klopp. So we don’t envisage there being much of an adaptation issue under Iraola.
He’s somewhat positionally limited, having played most of his senior career as a central striker, but can operate on the left flank in a pinch.
Darwin Nunez is perhaps not the first-choice name on the list to bolster the forward line beyond two new wingers, but it’s an out-of-left-field option to consider at least!
With the benefit of hindsight, it’s clear that the 26-year-old’s relationship with Mo Salah proved highly beneficial for the Egyptian’s output.
Perhaps he could similarly platform Liverpool’s young wingers next term (potentially Yan Diomande and Rio Ngumoha) if he were to return to L4.
Welcome to our Live Comments section, where new comments will appear automatically
With Darwin back, Anfield will be CAULDRON.
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Notify me of follow-up comments by email.
Notify me of new posts by email.
