Darwin Nunez leaves Liverpool: Idol, flop, or both?

VHO - After three seasons filled with high expectations but ultimately unfulfilled, Darwin Nunez officially parted ways with Liverpool to join Al-Hilal (Saudi Arabia) on a three-year contract, bringing to an end a journey filled with emotions and controversy at Anfield.

Darwin Nunez has left Liverpool after three years with the club.

Concluding his journey at Liverpool, Darwin Nunez has joined Al-Hilal on a three-year contract, which has just been announced.

The Saudi Pro League club has finalized a €53 million (£46.3 million) deal for the 26-year-old player.

Nunez joined Liverpool in June 2022 from Benfica (Portugal) for an initial fee of £64 million, amidst high expectations.

He scored 40 goals in 143 appearances for The Reds, but only started eight Premier League games in the season the team won the title last year.

Liverpool's statement read: "Everyone at the club would like to thank Darwin for his contributions and wish him and his family all the best in the future."

Nunez has joined Al-Hilal for their pre-season training camp in Germany.

His departure could impact plans to pursue Swedish striker Alexander Isak, after Newcastle rejected an initial £110 million bid.

Nunez left Liverpool without reaching the heights expected of him after his expensive transfer from Benfica.

He still left behind moments of brilliance that fans in Merseyside will remember: a late brace that helped Liverpool – down to 10 men – beat Newcastle (August 2023), the decisive 99th-minute goal against Nottingham Forest (March 2024), or a brace in injury time against Brentford (January 2025), ending his time in England with a Premier League title.

However, there are still differing opinions on whether those moments are enough to outweigh the disappointment over his inconsistency – a factor that has led manager Arne Slot to seek other options.

The nickname "Captain Chaos," given to Nunez by Jamie Carragher, somewhat reflects his journey: struggling to secure a starting place for three seasons at Anfield.

In his first season, he scored 15 goals in 42 games across all competitions; in his second season, that increased to 18 goals in 54 games. But since Slot succeeded Jurgen Klopp (2024), Nunez has been used less frequently, scoring only 7 goals in 47 appearances last season. In total, he has scored 25 goals in 95 Premier League games, 46 of which were as a substitute.

Nunez was expected to achieve a lot when he arrived at Anfield.

Why wasn't Nunez successful at Liverpool?

This transfer fee is significantly lower than the £85 million package (including add-ons, not all of which have been activated) that Liverpool paid to sign him in 2022.

He then signed a six-year contract after a brilliant 2021-22 season in which he scored 34 goals in 41 games for Benfica, including two goals against Liverpool in the Champions League.

Klopp had previously warned that Nunez was "a player who needs time to improve." In fact, he scored in consecutive games at the start of the season but was sent off on his home debut for headbutting Joachim Andersen (Fulham).

His late goals that helped Liverpool win earned him fans and sometimes revealed his potential, but his inconsistency remains a major drawback.

Towards the end of Klopp's tenure, Nunez was rarely used. In the 2025 season, Slot even publicly criticized him after a regrettable missed opportunity against Aston Villa (February 2025):

“The player missed a chance – that's something I can accept. But what's harder to accept is his attitude afterward. It affected him too much mentally, making him no longer the Darwin we usually see – the one who always gives his all and helps the team.”

By the end of the season, he had only started 8 Premier League matches, scoring 5 goals.

The departure comes after Liverpool signed striker Hugo Ekitz (£79 million) and attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz (£116 million), in an effort to rebuild Slot.

Dan Clubbe (The Redmen TV) shared on BBC Radio Merseyside:

“The prevailing feeling is disappointment. He arrived for a huge sum of money, but failed to live up to expectations. Therefore, a transfer is probably the best option for both sides.”

Missed opportunities, bad luck, and memorable goals – The statistics that shaped Nunez's time at Liverpool.

The numbers clearly show why Nunez is underestimated:

• Shot conversion rate: 11.1% – the lowest among Liverpool's forwards over the past three seasons.

• Goal-scoring performance lower than xG: -8.5 (worst among Liverpool strikers from 2022-23).

• Among the top 15 players with the most shots in the Premier League from 2022-23, his conversion rate ranks second from the bottom (25 goals/226 shots).

• Performance is lower than the second-highest xG in the Premier League over the past three seasons, behind Dominic Calvert-Lewin (-13.7).

• Among the top 10 players with the most clear-cut chances from 2022-23, he had the worst conversion rate: 23.6%.

Nevertheless, Nunez left Anfield with the affection of many fans.

He is the player with the most goals scored in the 90th minute or later in the Premier League since 2022-23 (3 goals), and only 6 players in the history of the league have scored more in this type of goal than him.

The frustration of repeatedly hitting the post (four times in one match against Chelsea – a Premier League record) or a total of 14 times hitting the post/crossbar since his debut in the league also contributed to the image of a striker who was both unlucky and highly emotional.

Nunez remains beloved by her fans.

Why do fans love Nunez?

If Darwin Nunez had the composure that matched his physical prowess, he might have been one of the world's top strikers. He's incredibly fast, strong, and a hard presser – which is why Klopp was determined to sign him. But despite often being in advantageous positions, he's poor at finishing when the team is level or trailing, except for those last-minute goals.

Because Nunez expresses his emotions very genuinely. Fans can easily recognize when he's struggling, but they also see his burning desire to win. This sometimes holds him back, but it also endears him to the fans at Anfield – in contrast to the ridicule he receives on social media.

Was selling him the right decision? Yes. He chose to go to Saudi Arabia to receive a lucrative deal, ending his peak career in Europe.

If Liverpool use the money from his sale to sign Isak – a clear upgrade – that would be good news. Otherwise, the attack will be thin, but fans believe Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes will finalize the Isak deal.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/the-thao/darwin-nunez-roi-liverpool-than-tuong-bom-xit-hay-ca-hai-159941.html