Uruguay forward Darwin Nunez has asked Al Hilal to terminate his contract by mutual consent after receiving interest from Major League Soccer side Atalanta United, according to reports in Saudi Arabia and the United States.
Saudi newspaper Al-Youm reported that Nunez has informed the Al Hilal hierarchy he wants to leave the club and explore a new challenge from next season, despite remaining under contract with the Riyadh side.
The 25-year-old is said to have held discussions with the club’s board over an amicable separation, at the same time as fielding approaches from the United States. The report states that an unnamed American club made contact to clarify his situation and assess the feasibility of a move.
Atalanta United open talks
Journalist Ben Jacobs, describing himself as well informed on the situation, said on his X (formerly Twitter) account that Atalanta United have now begun initial talks over signing the Al Hilal striker.
Jacobs stated: “نونيز ناقش بالفعل مع الهلال مسالة فسخ العقد بالتراضي، الا انه لا يزال مرتبطا بعقد سار مع النادي حتى الان”.
That position underlines that, while preliminary conversations have taken place, Nunez remains officially tied to Al Hilal and any transfer would depend on an agreement to end his existing deal or a formal negotiation between the clubs. No financial details, contract length or potential transfer fee were reported.
Out of Simone Inzaghi’s plans
Nunez’s push for an exit follows a shift in his standing within the squad under Italian head coach Simone Inzaghi.
According to the same Saudi reports, Inzaghi no longer counts on the Uruguay international as part of his first-team plans and has given his approval for the player to depart during the current transfer window.
That stance is understood to have strengthened Nunez’s position in talks over a possible contract termination, with the striker aware that he has interest from the United States and is unlikely to feature prominently for Al Hilal if he stays.
The article did not specify how long remains on Nunez’s current contract, nor whether Al Hilal are willing to release him without compensation, only that discussions over a consensual termination have taken place.
Al Hilal target new ‘big-name’ forward
In parallel with Nunez’s situation, Al Hilal have already started work on recruiting a high-profile attacking reinforcement.
The club has begun searching the market for what is described as a major attacking signing to strengthen the forward line, a move requested by the technical staff and aligned with Inzaghi’s plans for the coming campaign.
No names have yet been publicly linked to that search in the Saudi reports, and there is no indication that any incoming deal is contingent on Nunez’s departure. However, his potential exit would free up both a squad place and salary space for Al Hilal to move for a marquee attacker.
At this stage, Nunez remains an Al Hilal player, but with Atalanta United exploring a move, the forward pushing for a mutual termination and Inzaghi prepared to let him go, his future in Riyadh appears increasingly uncertain as the transfer window progresses.
