Uruguay striker Darwin Nunez is close to ending his spell with Al Hilal, with the Saudi Pro League club ready to let him leave on loan with an option to buy in a deal running until June 2027.
Nunez, who is currently with Al Hilal’s squad at their pre-season training camp in Austria, has been pushing hard for a move and has already secured initial approval from the club’s hierarchy to depart on loan.
The 25-year-old initially asked for his contract with Al Hilal to be terminated outright, but negotiations instead produced a compromise: Nunez will give up part of his salary, while Al Hilal will continue to cover a portion of his wages for one season as part of the loan arrangement.
Desire for trophies drives push back to Europe
Nunez’s insistence on leaving stems from his wish to return to European football and join a club competing for major honours. His representatives have offered him to Barcelona in recent days, with the Catalan club internally reviewing the possibility of a deal.
According to Spanish newspaper Sport, however, the most likely destination for Nunez at this stage is Portugal, where both Porto and Benfica have shown serious interest in signing him. All parties are understood to be keen to finalise an agreement before Al Hilal’s squad returns to Saudi Arabia on 3 August.
A move back to Benfica is thought to be the option Nunez favours most. The forward enjoyed one of the best spells of his career with the Lisbon club after joining from Almeria, in a transfer that saw Benfica beat Barcelona to his signature for a fee of €25m.
Nunez went on to shine in Portugal, performances that earned him a move to Liverpool in a deal worth more than €75m.
Mixed spells in England and Saudi Arabia
Despite that high-profile transfer, Nunez struggled to fully adapt to life in the Premier League and did not achieve the level of consistency expected at Liverpool.
His subsequent move to the Saudi Pro League has also not brought the stability he was seeking, with the player yet to settle in his new surroundings at Al Hilal.
Nunez has had other interest in this window, receiving approaches from Atalanta and Besiktas, but talks with both clubs failed to produce an agreement.
Barcelona’s interest, meanwhile, has not progressed beyond an informal proposal and has yet to turn into a formal bid.
With the European season approaching and Al Hilal’s training camp entering its final stretch, negotiations over Nunez’s future are expected to accelerate in the coming days as the striker looks to secure a return to European competition.
