Darwin Nunez is ‘in talks’ about a surprising move back to Europe as four teams start a transfer battle.
Darwin Nunez is currently being offered to four European clubs by Saudi Pro League team Al Hilal, as the club looks to move on the Uruguayan striker who is out of favor.
The 27-year-old joined Al Hilal from Liverpool just a year ago in a £46.3 million deal, but it seems like his time there hasn’t gone as planned. Nunez earns around £400,000 a week, making him one of the highest-paid players in world football, but things have been tough for him in Riyadh.
When Karim Benzema joined the team in January, Nunez was dropped from the squad for the rest of the season. Saudi teams can only register eight foreign players born before 2003 in their 25-man squads, and surprisingly, Nunez was left out along with former Arsenal defender Pablo Mari.
Last season, Nunez scored six goals in 14 league games, but it looks like he will be leaving Al Hilal soon. Several clubs have been linked with him. For example, Italian reports say Ruben Amorim, the new AC Milan coach and former Manchester United head coach, is interested in signing Nunez. There have also been rumors about a move to the MLS team Atlanta United.
According to journalist Yagız Sabuncuoglu, Al Hilal hasn’t yet found a good offer for Nunez, so they are now actively looking to loan him out. They have even reached out to the four biggest teams in Turkey’s Super Lig—Galatasaray, Fenerbahce, Besiktas, and Trabzonspor—to see if they want to take Nunez on loan. Al Hilal officials are expected to travel to Turkey soon to start talks.
Barcelona, which was once linked with Nunez, has been informed that he is available for loan, but no formal talks have started between the clubs, according to Sport.
Nunez has been seen at Al Hilal’s pre-season training camp in Austria, but the club hopes to send him back to Europe on loan so he can regain his form and eventually secure a permanent move elsewhere.