Darwin Núñez Departs Liverpool: A Wild Ride Comes to an End

Liverpool’s Darwin Núñez era has officially drawn to a close.

On the morning of August 6, Fabrizio Romano confirmed that the Uruguayan striker is set to join Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal, with Liverpool having granted permission for the player to fly out for a medical. The deal, worth around £46 million plus add-ons, will bring a definitive end to one of the more chaotic, polarizing, and undeniably memorable Liverpool careers of recent years.

Núñez leaves Anfield having scored 40 goals in 143 appearances across all competitions—numbers that may seem modest given his club-record price tag, but which tell only part of the story. His time in Merseyside was a cocktail of mayhem and magic, frustration and flair. And now, at 26, he heads to the Saudi Pro League with a Premier League winner’s medal in hand and an unfinished chapter in Europe left behind.

From Benfica Sensation to Record Signing

When Núñez arrived in the summer of 2022 for a package deal that could rise to £85 million, he was seen as Liverpool’s answer to Erling Haaland. Klopp wanted evolution—not just a false nine in Firmino’s mould, but a true No. 9. Núñez had just bagged 34 goals in 41 games for Benfica, including a standout Champions League display against Liverpool themselves. It wasn’t just the goals—it was the explosiveness, the aggression, the chaos factor.

Liverpool fans greeted his arrival with a mix of excitement and expectation. And at times, Núñez delivered; like scoring on his debut vs Fulham. He bundled home late winners, launched into frenetic pressing fits, and looked like he might explode into one of the league’s most uncontainable forwards.

But as the months passed, so too did the sense that Núñez was fighting both the system and himself.

The Wildness Was the Point—And the Problem

To watch Darwin Núñez at Liverpool was to live on a knife’s edge. There were headers skewed wide from six yards. There were one-on-ones ballooned into the Anfield Road End. But there were also jaw-dropping goals— like his last gasp finish against Newcastle, Brentford away, or his rocket strike against Bournemouth that shocked the Prem.

Supporters came to love the chaos. But coaches needed control; nothing categorizes this more than him headbutting Crystal Palace's Joachim Andersen.

By the time Arne Slot replaced Jurgen Klopp in the summer of 2024, Núñez’s role had already diminished. His pressing was committed, but often disorganized. His touch was raw, his confidence fragile. And under Slot’s more positional, fluid setup, Núñez’s limitations became more pronounced.

Despite flashes of form—particularly in the early months of 2024—he ultimately managed just eight Premier League starts in the 2024–25 season. While Liverpool lifted the league title, Núñez found himself watching more than playing. With the arrivals of Hugo Ekitike and the reported pursuit of Alexander Isak, it became clear the club was already planning for life beyond him.

Endings, and a New Chapter

Still, Núñez’s departure is no small exit. It’s a strategic shift for Liverpool—part of a summer clear-out that’s already seen Luis Díaz, Tyler Morton, and Caohmin Kelleher move on. Richard Hughes and Michael Edwards appear to be charting a bold new direction with a younger, more technically cohesive squad.

For Núñez, Al-Hilal represents both a lucrative payday and a fresh platform. He is set to sign a three-year contract, as well as garner a reportedly higher wage than he was making with the Reds. He’ll join a growing contingent of top players making the leap to the Saudi Pro League, where he’ll potentially be managed by Simone Inzaghi and tasked with becoming the spearhead of their title ambitions.

Legacy at Liverpool: Complicated but Memorable

There will be debate, perhaps for years, about whether Darwin Núñez was a success or failure at Anfield.

On one hand: 40 goals. A league title. Moments of raw, unfiltered joy. On the other: missed sitters, inconsistency, and a never-quite-fit tactical profile.

But maybe the answer lies somewhere in the middle. Núñez wasn’t the striker Liverpool hoped he’d become, but he gave everything—often too much, in all directions. He made fans feel something, every time he was on the pitch. And in the modern game, that’s a rarer quality than many realize.

He departs not as a flop, but as a flawed thrill ride. A striker who never quite tamed his game, but who leaves behind memories, memes, and moments that will live long in the hearts of those who rode the rollercoaster with him.

Farewell, Darwin.

You never made it boring.