Report: Liverpool feel ‘vindicated’ over Nunez transfer decision as Al-Hilal medical awaits | OneFootball

Darwin Nunez is on the verge of leaving Liverpool after three years with the Reds, but he could easily have departed several months ago.

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As reported by Ian Doyle on Thursday morning, the Premier League champions have agreed a deal to sell the Uruguayan to Al-Hilal for €53m (£46.3m) plus add-ons, with the striker having expressed a desire to move on from Anfield this summer.

The 26-year-old is set to depart Merseyside having scored 40 goals in 143 appearances for LFC, having joined from Benfica in 2022 for an initial £64m.

Liverpool ‘vindicated’ by Nunez transfer decision

As per The Athletic‘s Liverpool FC correspondent James Pearce this morning, Nunez is set to undergo a medical with the Saudi Pro League club after the clubs shook hands on a deal, and Anfield chiefs have granted him permission to fly out to Germany, where Simone Inzaghi’s side are currently based for a training camp.

The report mentions how the Uruguay striker ‘came close to leaving’ in January amid a transfer approach from Al-Nassr, but the Reds rejected those advances as they ‘prioritised winning the Premier League title’, even though the player ‘wanted to pursue a move’ in the winter.

LFC feel that their stance was ultimately ‘vindicated’ as the 26-year-old ‘made a number of vital contributions’ towards Arne Slot’s side going on to become champions.

(Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Liverpool were quite right not to sell Nunez in January

Although Nunez fell out of favour during the second half of last season, starting only one top-flight match in 2025, Liverpool will undoubtedly be glad that they didn’t cash in on him seven months ago.

The Uruguayan has scored just three times since the start of January, but two of those accounted for the stoppage-time brace which secured a vital win for the Reds away to Brentford. The other was less dramatic but also rather timely, equalising in the 3-1 victory at home to Southampton in March when we were trailing at half-time.

By remaining on Merseyside for the full campaign, the 26-year-old ensured that he’d pocket a Premier League winner’s medal to go along with the Carabao Cup triumph from 18 months ago. Even though his sights have been set on pastures new, he’ll no doubt be glad that he stuck around for the celebrations at Anfield in the spring.

The challenge for Liverpool now is to ensure that they’re adequately stocked in attack for the new season, after Diogo Jota’s tragic death last month and the sale of Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich. All the while, rumours persist over a possible exit for Federico Chiesa.

We’ll be sorry to see Nunez go, but we’re glad that he stayed on for long enough to be part of the title celebrations, and his contributions towards that success will always be appreciated among Kopites.