Darwin Núñez: Liverpool Reunion Fading as AC Milan Circles
Darwin Núñez’s Liverpool return is fading fast. Another red shirt may yet beckon – but it could be Milan’s, not Liverpool’s.
The Uruguayan striker, currently with his country at the FIFA World Cup, has endured a brutal year since leaving Anfield for Al-Hilal last summer. The move looked lucrative and ambitious at the time: an initial £46 million fee, a contract worth around £400,000 per week, and the promise of being the focal point of a project in Saudi Arabia.
Instead, it has unravelled.
From marquee signing to the margins
Núñez, once Liverpool’s record signing, has barely featured since February. His spell at Al-Hilal has been so underwhelming that the club moved decisively in another direction, completing a deal for Karim Benzema and de-listing Núñez from their domestic squad. One of the highest-paid forwards in the region suddenly found himself without a proper stage.
The lack of minutes has not gone unnoticed back home. Uruguay head coach Marcelo Bielsa is understood to have harboured concerns over the striker’s condition, reportedly feeling that Núñez has “physically deteriorated” during this period of inactivity. For a player whose game is built on power, aggression and relentless running, that is a damning assessment.
Al-Hilal, aware that the relationship has run its course, are said to be ready to rip up his bumper deal. Núñez could be available for free or for a heavily reduced fee, a cut-price chance for European clubs to revive a career that has stalled far earlier than expected.
Liverpool step back as Milan move in
On paper, a Liverpool reunion writes itself. The age profile, the history, the unfinished business. In reality, the outgoing Premier League champions are not convinced.
Reports suggest Liverpool are reluctant to gamble on a player whose form and fitness have dipped so sharply since he left Anfield. There is admiration, but not enough appetite to roll the dice on a second spell. The romantic storyline looks set to stay just that.
That hesitation has opened the door elsewhere. In Italy, Ruben Amorim’s AC Milan are circling.
According to Milan-based outlet Milan Vibes, the Rossoneri have already made “some contacts” with players at the World Cup, and Núñez is among them. The interest is real. The numbers are the problem.
Núñez’s current salary – around €2 million per month – sits miles beyond Milan’s wage structure. For a club that has worked hard to control its salary bill, this is not a deal that can be done on existing terms.
Two paths to San Siro
The Italian side see two possible routes.
The first is a permanent transfer at a fee “significantly lower” than what Al-Hilal paid Liverpool. That would give Milan freedom to set a new salary in line with their internal caps. The scenario becomes even more attractive if Rafael Leão, currently occupying the biggest salary slot at the club, were to leave. Space in the budget, space on the pitch, and a marquee forward to fill both.
The second option is a loan, with Al-Hilal still paying a portion of Núñez’s wages. That would ease the financial strain on Milan but is described as “highly unlikely”. Saudi clubs do not tend to subsidise their own mistakes.
Milan have been here before. Núñez was on their radar during his Benfica days and again while at Liverpool. He has already been linked with a move to San Siro in previous windows and is also said to regret missing out on a switch to Serie A with Napoli last summer.
Now, as his Saudi adventure threatens to define him for all the wrong reasons, the chance to reset in Europe is back on the table.
Liverpool, it seems, will watch from a distance. Milan, if they can bend the numbers to their will, might just be the club that bets on Núñez rediscovering the ferocity that once made him one of Europe’s most coveted forwards.
