Darwin Nunez reaches transfer agreement amid Chelsea rumours

7 May 2026 11:59 BST | 5 min read

Darwin Nunez, Chelsea, 2025/26 — © IMAGO

Robin Bairner | Chief Editor

Accredited football journalist and editor covering the game since 2006

Darwin Nunez has decided to leave Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal in the summer amid reports that he could be on his way back to the Premier League, with Chelsea reportedly holding an interest in the ex-Liverpool striker.

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Nunez has found life difficult in Saudi Arabia since leaving Liverpool in a €53 million transfer last summer. After scoring six goals in 16 Pro League matches, the arrival of Karim Benzema during the January window saw him knocked out of the squad, meaning he could not play league games.

The 26-year-old has now “reached an agreement” to leave Al-Hilal in the summer, according to Uruguayan source Referi.

Current ETV

Darwin Núñez

F (C), AM (L)

Al-Hilal

Darwin Núñez

F (C), AM (L)

Al-Hilal

ETV Range

€26.7M - €32.6M

Who wants to sign him?

There are numerous major clubs targeting Nunez, despite the former Benfica man failing to find a niche in Saudi Arabia.

Sources in Uruguay revealed as early as March that Chelsea and Newcastle are interested in signing the striker in the summer, with rumours linking the Stamford Bridge side with the hitman quietly bubbling away since.

Clubs from Serie A are also studying the case carefully. AC Milan and Juventus both have the centre-forward, whose Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) sits at €29.6m, under consideration.

Certainly, Al-Hilal stand little chance of making back the full sum they paid Liverpool for the striker, while Nunez himself will have to take a sizeable pay cut to return to European football.

© IMAGO - Darwin Nunez was a cult hero at Liverpool

Darwin Nunez to Chelsea: A risk-reward move

Nunez’s struggles in Saudi Arabia make him a clear risk for Chelsea, yet around the €30m price point, the Stamford Bridge outfit may well see him as a market opportunity.

Just four years ago, after all, Liverpool signed him for nearly three times that figure, and he proved in his time at Anfield that he is a unique handful for Premier League defenders.

Former Blues stalwart Marcel Desailly, a World Cup winner with France in 1998, said: “I would actually recommend Nunez to Chelsea. He’s a very good player, an intelligent player; he just needs the right environment to perform. When Liverpool identified his potential, they knew what they had statistically.”

A player in ‘rapid decline’

Nunez had a mixed three-year spell at Liverpool, during which he scored 25 Premier League goals but became a fan favourite with his attitude and work rate.

Would this translate to the 25-year-old becoming a success at Chelsea?

SciSports suggests that the margin for error in this deal is large. Although Nunez still has impressive potential, the recent trend in his development has been alarming.

His level has been plummeting downwards over the last six months, with SciSports describing his form as having been in ‘rapid decline’.

© SciSports - Darwin Nunez, Career Development

To put this into perspective, Nunez only managed to score six goals in 16 appearances in the Saudi Pro League this season.

Most of the Saudi Pro League's leading scorers are netting at a rate of one per game. Ivan Toney, for example, has 26 in 26 for Al Ahli while Cristiano Ronaldo has 23 in 23 for Al Nassr.

Nunez’s goal rate is eclipsed by the likes of Joshua King and Gini Wijnaldum and is more akin to that of veteran forward Alexandre Lacazette, the former Arsenal forward. This is not the bar that Chelsea expect of their centre-forwards and too often in recent seasons they have been let down by their No.9s.

Here’s the upside…

It’s too early to write the obituaries for Nunez’s career. Even if his current form is showing an alarming downward trend, he’s not yet hit his peak and has clearly been battling in an environment that does not optimise him.

SciSports shows this with his potential Skill level of 78.5, which exceeds that of Delap (75.6) and is higher than Joao Pedro’s current level (72.2).

His price is also likely to be comparatively attractive given that he is clearly surplus to requirements at Al Hilal. If they were able to complete a deal around his Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of under €30m, it would start to look like reasonable business.

Regardless, it’s clear that the signing Nunez would be a gamble, and with supporter unrest over their transfer policy, it’s one that the Blues can scarcely afford to get wrong.

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