Núñez Agrees Al-Hilal Exit After Foreign Player Squeeze

Darwin Núñez has reached an agreement with Al-Hilal to depart at the end of the current Saudi Pro League campaign. The Uruguayan striker joined the club last August but has been sidelined since February following the January arrival of Karim Benzema. Saudi regulations limit clubs to eight foreign players born before 2003 in their 25-man squads, forcing Al-Hilal to deregister Núñez.

Núñez, 26, moved from Liverpool for an initial £46 million ($63 million). Despite earning £400,000 per week, he has prioritized playing time after months training apart from the squad. He recorded six goals and four assists in 16 league appearances before the change.

At Liverpool, Núñez scored 40 goals in 143 appearances over three seasons after arriving from Benfica, where he netted 34 goals in 41 games in his final campaign. His Anfield spell ended amid criticism from coach Arne Slot over work rate. The lack of minutes at Al-Hilal has also cost him a starting place in Uruguay's national team under Marcelo Bielsa.

Reports link Núñez with Chelsea and Juventus as he seeks a European return to rebuild his career.