Darwin Nunez's Liverpool Future Dims as AC Milan Eyes Move

Darwin Nunez’s Anfield story looks destined to stay closed. Liverpool have been offered the chance to bring back their former record signing. For now, they’re walking away.

The Uruguay striker, currently at the FIFA World Cup with his country, left Liverpool only last summer, swapping Merseyside for the money and mystery of Saudi Arabia. Al-Hilal paid an initial £46 million and handed him a staggering £400,000 per week. It was supposed to be a new peak.

It has turned into a dead end.

Since February, Nunez has barely kicked a ball in anger. His spell at Al-Hilal has unravelled so badly that he has been de-listed from their domestic squad after the club completed the marquee signing of Karim Benzema, pushing the Uruguayan completely to the fringes.

From centrepiece to spare part in a matter of months.

Bielsa’s Warning Signs

The damage has not just been reputational. According to reports, Uruguay head coach Marcelo Bielsa has harboured doubts about Nunez’s condition for some time. The former Leeds United manager is said to believe the striker has “physically deteriorated” during this prolonged spell without competitive minutes.

For a 27-year-old forward who built his name on raw power, relentless running and explosive movement, that is a damning assessment.

Al-Hilal, sensing the situation is unsustainable, are understood to be willing to cut their losses. Nunez could be allowed to leave for free or for a heavily reduced fee, with the Saudi club prepared to rip up his lucrative contract to smooth a route back to Europe.

On paper, it looks like the kind of opportunistic deal Liverpool once thrived on. In reality, the club are not convinced.

Liverpool Step Back, Milan Step In

Reports suggest the outgoing Premier League champions have cooled on the idea of a reunion. The risk profile is simply too high: a huge salary, a player short of rhythm, and a forward line already stacked with options.

So the door that once opened wide at Anfield is now creaking open in Milan.

Ruben Amorim’s AC Milan are emerging as the most serious suitors, with Italian outlet Milan Vibes claiming the Rossoneri have already made contact with Nunez’s camp while he is on World Cup duty.

The numbers, though, are eye-watering. Nunez’s current salary is said to be around €2 million per month – a figure that sits miles beyond Milan’s current wage structure. For a club that has rebuilt itself on discipline and careful spending, that kind of outlay needs serious negotiation.

Two Paths for Milan

Milan Vibes outlines two potential routes.

• The first is a permanent transfer at a fee “significantly lower” than what Al-Hilal paid. That scenario would allow Milan to dictate a new salary package more in line with their internal caps. It could become especially appealing if Rafael Leao – who currently occupies the club’s biggest salary slot – were to leave, freeing up room at the top of the wage pyramid.
• The second option is a loan deal, with Al-Hilal continuing to pay a chunk of Nunez’s salary. That would reduce the financial strain on Milan but is described as “highly unlikely,” given the Saudis’ desire to draw a line under the move.

So Milan must decide: push for a cut-price permanent gamble, or walk away from a player whose stock has fallen but whose ceiling, in the right environment, still tempts.

A Career at a Crossroads

Nunez’s name has been linked to Milan before, back in his Liverpool days, when he was still a rising star in Europe rather than a reclamation project. He is also reported to regret missing out on a move to Serie A with Napoli last summer, a sliding-doors moment that now looms large over his career.

Now, with Liverpool unlikely to ride to the rescue and Al-Hilal ready to sever ties, the next decision will define his prime years.

Does he find revival under the lights of San Siro, or does this Saudi detour mark the start of a slow fade from Europe’s top stage?