Ex-Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez brutally AXED from Al-Hilal squad after Karim Benzema arrival

South American frontman Nunez moved to the Middle East for £46 million ($63m) during the summer of 2025, having struggled to produce his best on a regular basis across three seasons at Anfield - registering 40 goals through 143 appearances for Premier League giants.

He left Merseyside with an English top-flight crown, but was ready for a new challenge after landing a lucrative contract in Saudi Arabia. That dream has quickly turned into a nightmare for the 26-year-old forward.

Nunez’s arrival at Al-Hilal was greeted with much fanfare, with his enigmatic talents expected to thrive in Riyadh. He has seven goals to his name from 23 outings. Game time will, however, be in short supply across the coming weeks.

That is because Nunez has been cut from Al-Hilal’s Saudi Pro League squad. Teams are only allowed to register eight foreign players born before 2003 in their 25-man rosters. Ballon d’Or winner Benzema has taken one of those spots following his move from Al-Ittihad.

Nunez can still compete in the AFC Champions League, but is going to find himself watching on from afar on a regular basis. The same can be said for former Arsenal defender Pablo Mari, who has also been left out of Al-Hilal’s plans for the second half of the 2025-26 campaign.

Head coach Simone Inzaghi has said of making some tough selection calls: “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. We couldn't register Marcos Leonardo as a player born in Saudi Arabia. Time was of the essence, and I made the difficult decision. I calmly informed the excluded players of my decision.”

The Italian tactician added on having a proven French goalscorer on board: “Everyone knows Benzema. He's a great champion. He doesn't need to score a hat-trick to show his potential. We're happy to have him in the team - he benefits us in every aspect, not just on the pitch.”

Nunez found an escape route at Liverpool having initially pushed for a move during the January window of 2025. He slipped down the Reds’ attacking pecking order under Arne Slot.

Former Liverpool midfielder Dietmar Hamann has suggested that Arsenal should have been looking to snap up Nunez, rather than splashing out £55m ($75m) on Swedish striker Viktor Gyokeres.

He has said: “I thought last season everybody was having a go at Darwin Nunez, but I thought Nunez would have been tailor-made for Arsenal, a team that creates many chances.

“For all his faults, and for all his easy chances he missed, Nunez always occupied two or three defenders with his physicality and his pace. If he could finish, he’d probably be the best player in the world. But I think for Arsenal, he would have been a much better fit than Gyokeres.

“I don’t think he’s one of the top strikers in Europe. I think he’s a goal scorer, but then again, I don’t think a goal scorer against the best teams is enough because I don’t think he will get into positions where he can score.”

Gyokeres has found the target on 13 occasions for Arsenal this season, helping them to the top of the Premier League table, but drew a blank as the Gunners were held to a 1-1 draw by Brentford last time out.

Nunez, meanwhile, is said to be mulling over his options after seeing a switch to Turkish side Fenerbahce speculated on. He is reportedly seeking a return to Europe after struggling to settle in the Middle East.