According to information at our disposal, Liverpool have a chance to bring Darwin Núñez back this summer without paying a transfer fee. The Uruguay international has negotiated with Al-Hilal to mutually terminate his contract at the end of the season, and the Reds are assessing whether this reunion is worth pursuing.
From Anfield to the Middle East, and back toward Merseyside
Last summer, Núñez moved to Saudi Arabia for a fee of around £46 million and was initially viewed as a key piece in Al-Hilal's forward-line upgrade. However, in February this year, after Benzema's arrival squeezed him out of the squad, he was removed from the league registration list, and his Middle Eastern adventure was essentially over before it had truly begun. For a striker in his prime, prolonged exile from the first-team setup hurts morale more than any blank stat sheet.
Núñez is now searching for a new club. Multiple sources indicate that a return to Liverpool has made substantive progress, and the player himself is inclined to head back to Merseyside. His camp, however, wants to focus first on Uruguay national team duties, and an official announcement is not expected within the next few days — this looks more like a "play first, sign later" rhythm.
From a blockbuster signing four years ago to a zero-cost window today
Rewind to 2022, when Klopp signed this Uruguayan striker from Benfica for a reported fee of around £64 million, with add-ons potentially taking the deal as high as £84 million. Four years on, Núñez is about to turn 27 on June 24—the prime window of a professional footballer’s career is right in front of him. For Liverpool, reactivating him on a free-transfer basis would clearly make far more financial sense than splashing out on another nine-figure signing.
His first spell in England was not without highlights: 25 Premier League goals and 16 assists—a two-way contributor capable of linking play and finishing in a high-intensity environment. But consistency in front of goal has always been the main criticism levelled at him—elite chance creation paired with conversion rates that swing from week to week, which was among the factors behind his 2025 departure from Anfield for the Middle East.
Liverpool’s Front-Line Gap and End-of-Season Form
Looking at the data from the closing stages of the Premier League 2025 season, Liverpool’s form was clearly up and down: wins of 2-1 and 3-1 in matchdays 33 and 34, away defeats of 2-3 and 2-4 in matchdays 35 and 37, and 1-1 draws in matchdays 36 and 38. Beyond that uneven run, the swings in attacking output showed that depth in the forward rotation and reliability in front of goal remain missing pieces in their title-challenging puzzle.
Discussing Núñez’s return at this juncture is straightforward: the club knows his movement patterns and physical profile, fan support is still there, and contract costs are manageable. If the new manager’s system needs a centre-forward who can press the back line while joining the high press, the 27-year-old Núñez is tactically no worse a fit than most comparable options on the market.
Several Practical Questions Beyond the Player’s Words
On social media, many Liverpool fans have already started calling on the club to complete this “homecoming” deal. The sentiment is understandable—Núñez has had his highlights at Anfield, as well as those agonizing one-on-one misses. But in professional football, a second stint is never a sentimental choice alone.
First, whether a year in Saudi Arabia has altered his tempo and first-touch quality will need to be answered in preseason training. Second, the intensity of the Premier League has not eased. Whether Núñez can improve his shooting decisions in an environment with “fewer opportunities and higher demands” will directly determine if he can work his way back from squad rotation into the starting XI. Finally, Uruguay’s international schedule may overlap with the club’s preseason timetable, which is one reason why his camp has held off on announcing the move.
ScoreZ Watch
A free transfer does not mean zero risk. The question with Núñez has never been whether he can score, but whether he can score consistently. If Liverpool decide to bring him back, a more sensible role might be as an impact option off the bench within the existing forward setup, rather than an immediate guarantee of a core starting spot—this aligns with his age and form curve, and leaves room to win back trust through performances.
Three storylines are worth watching closely: Núñez’s form with Uruguay, Liverpool’s overall summer planning for the forward line, and whether he can quickly pass a medical and join preseason training once his release is finalized. If all three advance in sync, this “sensational return” will move from rumor to a move that could genuinely reshape the Premier League title race.
