Why ex-Liverpool flop’s best transfer option is Tottenham Hotspur

Former Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez is set to leave Al-Hilal after Karim Benzema’s arrival froze him out of the club’s Saudi Pro League squad.

Saudi league rules allow a limited number of foreign players to be registered, and Al-Hilal signed Benzema and 18-year-old former Rennes wonderkid Kader Meite, causing a logjam in the forward positions.

Nunez can only play in AFC Champions League games after his club did not register him for the league. Benzema, Meite, Kalidou Koulibaly, Theo Hernandez, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Pablo Mari, Yusuf Akcicek, Malcom, Marcos Leonardo, Yassine Bounou, and Mathieu Patouillet are the foreign players who were registered ahead of Nunez.

Now, the Uruguayan international is ready for a return to England, and he is willing to take a pay cut on his wages of over €450,000 per week, according to TeamTalk.

Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle Utd are in for the ex-Liverpool fan favourite’s signature, and it is clear that Spurs represent the best option.

Spurs need Nunez’s chaos up top

Spurs have struggled to find a consistent source of goals this season. Richarlison leads the team with seven goals in 21 Premier League matches, and he is followed by centre-backs Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven on four goals apiece. Dominic Solanke, signed for €64.3 million in 2024, has struggled to stay on the pitch.

The North London club’s 36 goals scored are fewer than Leeds (37), Bournemouth (43), and Brentford (40). Each of those teams sits above Spurs in the table, but that’s part of the problem — a club like Tottenham should be battling for Champions League places instead of sitting four points clear of the relegation zone with 12 matches left to play.

Nunez never had a stellar goal record during his Liverpool tenure. He only broke into double figures in the Premier League once, when he scored 11 times in 36 matches in 2023/24. He also provided eight league assists in that season.

His athleticism makes him a strong fit in a squad with tireless midfielders Conor Gallagher and Pape Sarr. Plus, Nunez’s potential combinations with attacking midfielders/wingers Mohammed Kudus and Xavi Simons could get the best out of all three attackers.

It is also likely that Al-Hilal would not demand a huge transfer fee for Nunez, which would take pressure off the player and also allow Spurs to bolster the squad in more areas. The Saudi club has no leverage after Nunez was not registered, and they have already taken massive losses on Neymar and Aleksandr Mitrovic since they started spending big money in 2023.

At Liverpool, Nunez had his €85 million transfer fee hanging over him during his three-season tenure, and he was never able to live up to it. He became a cult favourite among fans for his work rate and the chaos he brought, but the goals never flowed consistently.

For a cheaper price tag at Spurs, a club that needs a shot in the arm, a transfer would represent much less of a risk.

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