The Saudi Arabian soccer league has secured its latest marquee signing after Darwin Nunez completed a move from Liverpool to Al-Hilal on Saturday.
The Uruguay international cost a reported 46.3 million pounds ($62 million) and has signed a three-year contract.
Al-Hilal — Saudi Arabia’s most successful team — has been searching for another star signing after releasing Brazil great Neymar in January. Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes rejected a move before the Club World Cup in June and there was also reported interest in former Napoli striker Victor Osimhen.
Nunez leaves Liverpool after a mixed time in the Premier League, where he produced some spectacular moments but could not establish himself as the Merseyside club’s first-choice center forward. He scored 40 goals in 143 games and won the Premier League title last season.
But he made only one league start from the turn of the year and scored just seven goals in 47 total appearances last term.
In a summer when Liverpool has reinforced its attack with the signings of Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz, along with reported interest in Newcastle striker Alexander Isak, Nunez’s position had been in doubt.
He follows a slew of players who have left Europe’s top leagues for Saudi Arabia since Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Al Nassr in 2022.
Karim Benzema, Sadio Mane and Riyad Mahrez are some of the high-profile names to make the switch as Saudi Arabia has mounted an ambitious recruitment drive to establish itself as a major player in global soccer.
Al-Hilal, which produced one of the biggest upsets at the Club World Cup by eliminating Manchester City, already has a host of marquee players including Kalidou Koulibaly, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Joao Cancelo and Alesandar Mitrovic.
It is also coached by two-time Champions League runner up Simone Inzaghi.
It has won a record 19 Saudi league titles as well as four Asian championship, but was beaten to the title by Al-Ittihad last season.
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James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
