Liverpool sold hat-trick striker immediately after getting glimpse into future

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A remarkable hat-trick in pre-season for Darwin Nunez wasn’t enough to secure his place under Arne Slot as Liverpool opted for an immediate sale in order to bolster its attack

Darwin Nunez scored a hattrick in one of his last appearances for Liverpool(Image: 2025 Liverpool FC)

Liverpool took a decisive step towards in reshaping its attack by selling Darwin Nunez, despite the Uruguayan scoring a hat-trick in pre-season.

The Reds secured a 5-0 victory in a behind-closed doors friendly against Stoke City last summer. Florian Wirtz made his first Liverpool appearance in the game at the AXA Training Center lining up alongside Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dik and Nunez. Arne Slot's side let 4-0 at half-time with Nunez himself particularly on fire.

The Uruguayan scored three goals in the opening 45 minutes in a bid to send a message to Slot. However, he was always destined for a move away from Anfield that summer after a dismal last campaign scoring just seven goals in 47 appearances.

With Hugo Ekitike's impending arrival, Nunez left Anfield a few weeks later to join Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal for $61.6 million (£46 million) with around $14 million (£10.4 million).

His relocation to the Middle East was seemingly the right move for the striker to kick start his career. A month after joining Al Hilal, he opened his account with a goal in a 2–2 draw against Al Qadsiah. He quickly followed that up just three days later, finding the net again in a 2–1 win over Al Duhail on his AFC Champions League Elite debut.

However his future at the club was in doubt after just a few months. After securing the signing of Karim Benzema in January—much to the frustration of Cristiano Ronaldo—the 19-time champions have opted to leave Nunez out of their league squad for the remainder of the season.

Darwin Nunez hasn't managed to kickstart his career in Saudi Arabia(Image: Getty Images)

With Saudi Pro League rules limiting clubs to eight foreign players born before 2003 in a 25-man squad, Benzema’s arrival from Al Ittihad has effectively forced Nunez out of the registered list, relegating him to appearances in the Asian Champions League.

Explaining the decision to drop Nunez and former Arsenal defender Pablo Mari, Al-Hilal boss Simone Inzaghi said: “The decision was difficult, but that’s the job of a coach. He makes many decisions every day, even in every training session.

“Nunez and Pablo are good players. I want them in all competitions, but we know the restrictions on registering foreign players. Time was of the essence, and I made the difficult decision. I calmly informed the excluded players of my decision.”

Nunez last featured for Al Hilal on February 16, scoring both goals in a 2–1 AFC Champions League win over Al Wahda. Its scheduled last-16 clash with Al Sadd was postponed due to ongoing conflict in the Middle East, while Nunez’s future has remained uncertain, with links to Fenerbahce and a possible return to Europe emerging during the January transfer window.

He is set to play his first game in over a month during the international break as Uruguay take on England at Wembley Stadium, where the 26-year-old will be hoping to make an impact.