Following reports earlier in the day that Liverpool and Al Hilal had verbally agreed a base €53M (£46) plus unspecified add-ons for the transfer of Darwin Nuñez to the Saudi Pro League side, it now appears the deal is all but officially done following widespread reports that the player has agreed personal terms.
As might be expected for a player moving to the Saudi Pro League, the wage is said to be a somewhat eyebrow-raising £400k per week, making for a significant raise for the player. Al Hilal manager Simone Inzaghi is said to have been key to convincing Nuñez to leave Europe, but we can’t act like doubling his Liverpool wage won’t likely have helped with the decision.
At 26 years of age, Nuñez is also young enough that it’s possible to imagine him making a return to Europe in a season or two, and his role for Uruguay seems secure enough to survive the move as well. The player is expected to say his goodbyes on Thursday and travel to Germany to join Al Hilal on their pre season tour and undergo his medical.
For Liverpool, the attention now shifts to the need to sign a replacement. Having already sold Luis Diaz and with Diogo Jota’s tragic death earlier in the summer, new striker signing Hugo Ekitike can’t be the club’s only recruit in attack. Not if they have serious aspirations of defending their Premier League title and making a deep run in the Champions League.
For much of the summer, the club has sent clear signals that Newcastle’s Alexander Isak is the dream signing, but with Newcastle struggling to source a replacement there has been recent buzz about a potential Liverpool pivot towards trying to sign Paris Saint-Germain’s versatile 22-year-old attacking star Bradley Barcola.
