Darwin Nunez to Liverpool transfer truth as striker’s return ‘already agreed’ | Football | Sport

Darwin Nunez is being tipped for a sensational return to Liverpool by reports in his homeland of Uruguay, but a potential return to Anfield has now been played down. The striker is currently at the World Cup with his country, who face Saudi Arabia in their Group H opener. A Uruguayan journalist has claimed the forward is poised to make a surprise comeback to Anfield with a move already agreed. But any confirmation will not come for a few weeks, he claims.

Last summer, Nunez departed the Reds to join Saudi Arabian powerhouses Al-Hilal in a deal thought to be worth approximately £46.3million. His departure came shortly after the club completed a £79m signing of Hugo Ekitike. Nunez’s stint in Saudi Arabia has failed to go according to plan, with reports emerging in February suggesting he was seeking a way out after being dropped from the club’s 25-man squad.

Now, with the World Cup under way, Uruguayan outlet Carve Deportiva has claimed Nunez will head back to Liverpool when the tournament finishes. It has also been reported that Nunez remains fully focused on Uruguay’s World Cup campaign, making any transfer announcement before his nation’s run in the United States ends highly unlikely.

The report claims the former Benfica striker made it clear he does not wish for any official confirmation of his next destination until his country’s involvement in the tournament is concluded. But transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has, by contrast, claimed sources close to the striker have told him a move is unlikely.

Nunez’s spell at Liverpool featured numerous highs and lows. When he departed the club, he did so with a tally of 40 goals and 26 assists across 143 appearances. He also left as a Premier League and League Cup winner.

However, having arrived from Benfica in the summer of 2022 in a transfer worth around £75m, he possessed an impressive pedigree having netted 48 goals and registered 16 assists in 85 matches for Benfica.

He was unable to match those same figures at Anfield, though a considerable portion of the supporter base remained disappointed to witness his exit from the club. Upon his departure, he made a point of thanking the supporters for backing him despite criticism from the media and pundits.

He wrote: “Thank you, Liverpool. Three years on, it’s time to say goodbye. I’ll take with me countless memories that will live with me forever. I leave with a full heart, thanks to the love of a crowd that never let me down and always had my back – through the highs and through the lows.

“Liverpool will always be part of who I am. I’ll miss you more than words can say. To all my staff and teammates – thank you, and all the very best for the future.”