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

VHO - After three promising but incomplete seasons, Darwin Nunez officially left Liverpool to join Al-Hilal (Saudi Arabia) with a three-year contract, ending an emotional and controversial journey at Anfield.

Darwin Nunez leaves Liverpool after 3 years.

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

The Saudi Pro League side have sealed a €53m (£46.3m) deal for the 26-year-old.

Nunez joined Liverpool in June 2022 from Benfica (Portugal) with an initial fee of 64 million pounds, amid great expectations.

He scored 40 goals in 143 appearances for the Reds, but started just eight Premier League games during their title-winning season last year.

“Everyone at the club would like to thank Darwin for his contribution and wish him and his family all the best for the future,” Liverpool said in a statement.

Nunez joined up with Al-Hilal on their pre-season training trip to Germany.

His departure could impact their pursuit of Swedish striker Alexander Isak, after Newcastle rejected an initial £110m bid.

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

He still left behind sublime moments that fans on Merseyside remembered: a late double to help Liverpool – down to 10 men – beat Newcastle (August 2023), a 99th-minute winner against Nottingham Forest (March 2024), or a double in injury time against Brentford (January 2025), ending his time in England with the Premier League title.

However, there are still mixed opinions about whether those moments are enough to overcome the frustration with his lack of consistency – a factor that has caused coach Arne Slot to look for other options.

The nickname “Captain Chaos” given by Jamie Carragher partly reflects Nunez’s journey: struggling to keep a starting place during three seasons at Anfield.

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

Nunez was expected a lot when he arrived at Anfield.

Why did Nunez fail at Liverpool?

This transfer fee is significantly lower than the £85 million package (including add-ons, not all activated) that Liverpool spent to recruit him in 2022.

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

Klopp had warned that Nunez was “a player who needs time to develop”. Indeed, he scored in consecutive games at the start of the season but was sent off on his home debut for headbutting Fulham’s Joachim Andersen.

Late goals to help Liverpool win him endeared him to fans and occasionally revealed his potential, but his lack of consistency remains a major minus.

At the end of Klopp's reign, Nunez was rarely used. In the 2025 season, Slot even publicly criticized him after an unfortunate miss against Aston Villa (2.2025):

“The player missed a chance – that I can accept. But the attitude afterwards is harder to accept. It affects him too much mentally, he is no longer the usual Darwin – the one who always tries his best and helps the team.”

At the end of the season, he only had 8 starts in the Premier League, scoring 5 goals.

The departure comes after Liverpool signed striker Hugo Ekitike (£79m) and playmaker Florian Wirtz (£116m), as part of Slot's rebuild.

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

“The overwhelming feeling is disappointment. He came in for a lot of money, but he didn’t live up to expectations. So a transfer is probably the best for both parties.”

Misses, bad luck and memorable goals – The stats that shaped Nunez's time at Liverpool

The numbers clearly show why Nunez is underrated:

• Shot conversion rate: 11.1% – lowest among Liverpool strikers in the past three seasons.

• Goals per goal ratio below xG: -8.5 (worst among Liverpool strikers from 2022-23).

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

• Second-highest under-xG performance in the Premier League over the past three seasons, behind Dominic Calvert-Lewin (-13.7).

• Of the 10 players with the most “good chances” from 2022-23, he has the worst conversion rate: 23.6%.

However, Nunez still left Anfield with the affection of many fans.

He is the Premier League's top scorer in the 90th minute or later since 2022-23 (3 goals), and only six players in the history of the competition have scored more in this type of goal.

The frustration of constantly hitting the woodwork (4 times in one match against Chelsea – a Premier League record) or hitting the post/bar 14 times in total since his debut in the tournament also contributed to creating the image of a striker who is both unlucky and emotional.

Nunez is still loved by fans.

Why do fans love Nunez?

If Darwin Nunez had the composure to match his physical ability, he would probably be one of the world’s top strikers. He is quick, strong, and a hard-presser – the reason Klopp was so keen to sign him. But despite often being in good positions, he is a poor finisher when his team is level or behind, with the exception of goals in the 90th minute.

Because Nunez shows his emotions so raw. Fans can see when he is struggling, but also his desire to win is clear. This sometimes holds him back, but it also makes him endearing to the Anfield faithful – in contrast to the mockery on social media.

Was it right to sell him? Yes. He chose to go to Saudi Arabia for a big payday, ending a high-profile career in Europe.

If Liverpool use the money from his sale to sign Isak – a clear upgrade – it will be good news. If not, the attack will be thin, but fans believe Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes will seal the deal for Isak.

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