Darwin Núñez Set for Free Transfer Shock as Al Hilal Contract Terminated — Chelsea & Newcastle Circling
Darwin Núñez will be a free agent this summer after mutually terminating his contract with Al Hilal, the Saudi Pro League club announced this week — ending a disastrous nine-month stint that began with a £46m deal last August.
The development marks a stunning fall for a striker Liverpool paid a then-club-record €85m to sign from Benfica in 2022. Núñez, 26, now enters the market at zero cost — a scenario that could open the door to a Premier League redemption story, with Chelsea and Newcastle among the clubs already taking notice.
“Yes, I’d be lying if I said no, that I don’t miss them. The truth is they made me feel very good and my family too. In difficult moments that I went through personally, the people always gave me that affection, that support and that was very important to me,”
said Darwin Núñez, speaking to AUFTV ahead of Uruguay’s friendly against England in March, in his most candid admission yet about his time at Anfield.
How the Saudi Dream Unravelled
Núñez’s departure from Al Hilal was ultimately forced by the Saudi Pro League’s strict foreign-player quota.
Each club is capped at 10 foreign players, with a maximum of eight over the age of 20. When Karim Benzema according to ESPN arrived at Al Hilal in January, club officials were forced to deregister Núñez from their SPL squad to accommodate the French superstar.
The Uruguayan has not featured in a competitive match since Feb. 16 — spending the months since training apart from the first team and watching matchdays from the stands.
Al Hilal were equally hapless in the deal. They committed a guaranteed £46m to a player their manager, Simone Inzaghi, ultimately did not want, and had been paying Núñez wages of around £400,000 per week — reportedly double his Liverpool salary — to sit idle.
Chelsea and Newcastle Keeping Tabs
Both Newcastle United and Chelsea are “keeping tabs” on Núñez, reported ESPN, citing the Daily Star.
Newcastle’s interest is well-documented. The Magpies were linked with Núñez during his Benfica days and were reportedly prepared to break their transfer record to sign him before Liverpool swooped.
That history gives Eddie Howe’s side a natural advantage in any pursuit — though the level of genuine intent from either club remains unconfirmed.
The Liverpool Legacy in Numbers
Across three seasons at Anfield, Núñez scored 40 goals in 143 appearances — a return that divided opinion throughout his time in the Premier League.
His final season yielded just seven goals as he fell down the pecking order under Arne Slot, contributing a Premier League title winners’ medal before the club recouped what it could with the £46m sale.
Liverpool will also miss out on the majority of a reported £10.4m in add-ons, as Núñez failed to meet performance-based targets during his abbreviated Al Hilal stint.
What Comes Next?
European football remains Núñez’s primary ambition, with Spain and Italy widely cited as possible destinations alongside England.
At 26, with four-plus years of top-level football behind him and a Uruguay international cap count still climbing, the physical tools that made Liverpool pay a record fee are very much still there.
Whether he can finally deliver the consistency that eluded him — and whether a Premier League club is willing to take that gamble at zero transfer cost — is the question that will dominate the summer window.
