Al Hilal secures Nunez in £46m deal, ignites Liverpool s pursuit of Isak

Al-Hilal has officially reached an agreement to sign Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez for 53 million euros (£46.3 million). The 26-year-old Uruguay international is now expected to travel for a medical to finalize his move to the Saudi Pro League. Nunez originally joined the Reds in June 2022 from Benfica for an initial fee of £64 million.

During his two seasons at Anfield, Nunez scored 40 goals in 143 appearances. However, he found himself starting only eight Premier League games during Liverpool's title-winning campaign last season, a clear indication of his reduced role in the squad.

The sale of Nunez is a strategic move for Liverpool, as it will provide a much-needed financial injection to boost their chances of signing Newcastle's highly-rated striker, Alexander Isak. The Reds are keen on the 25-year-old Sweden international, but their initial offer of £110 million was rejected by the Magpies, who value Isak at around £150 million.

This potential transfer follows a busy summer of spending for Liverpool. The club has already broken its transfer record with the £116 million signing of German playmaker Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen and secured French forward Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt in a deal worth £79 million, pushing their total spending past £250 million. To offset some of these costs, Liverpool has also sold winger Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich for £65.5 million and midfielder Tyler Morton to Lyon for £15 million. The future of England Under-21 midfielder Harvey Elliott also remains uncertain.

Nunez’s transfer to Al-Hilal comes after he was a target for other European clubs, including Italian champions Napoli. In January, Liverpool reportedly turned down a 70 million euros (£61 million) bid from another Saudi club, Al-Nassr.

Despite a disappointing goal tally of just seven goals across all competitions last season, Nunez had shown flashes of his potential in pre-season, scoring five goals in four games, including a hat-trick against Stoke in July.

Al-Hilal, coached by former Inter Milan boss Simone Inzaghi, finished second in the Saudi Pro League last season. The team boasts a number of well-known players, including former Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves, ex-Manchester City full-back Joao Cancelo, former Fulham and Newcastle striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, as well as Senegal center-back Kalidou Koulibaly and Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou. Nunez will join a growing list of high-profile players making the move to the Saudi Pro League.