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From the top to the bottom: Inzaghi lands Al-Hilal in the toughest bet!

A major crisis rocks Asia's leader

One decision can transform a team. One misplaced bet can drag a club into months of trouble.

That is what appears to have happened at Al-Hilal with Darwin Nunez. Within a few months, the Uruguayan went from the signing Simone Inzaghi demanded to one of the most complicated matters at the club.

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Núñez: Inzaghi's first choice
Inzaghi knew what he wanted from day one. Darwin Nunez was the striker to spearhead his technical project, and he pushed for the signing even at the expense of Aleksandar Mitrovic, with Brazilian Marcos Leonardo already in the squad.
The board backed their coach, making the deal the cornerstone of the new project. They hoped the Uruguayan would deliver the addition they craved and hand Al-Hilal a different attacking dimension.
Nunez duly arrived from Liverpool for 53 million euros. Al-Hilal terminated Mitrovic's contract and struck Leonardo's name from the domestic list, a move that sparked a great deal of controversy.

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From an awaited signing to a heavy burden
Reality took a completely different turn. Núñez failed to deliver the level the fans had expected, and his attacking effectiveness fell away sharply. He never proved he was the striker capable of making the difference in the big matches.
The coaching staff's conviction shifted as the season wore on. Within six months they dropped him from the domestic squad, a decision that laid bare just how far the player had fallen after starting as the coach's first bet.
Read also: He doesn't possess a magic wand: why did Al-Ahly move to sign Bosic?
Núñez played 16 matches in the Al-Hilal shirt, scoring 6 goals and providing just 4 assists.
He fired off 42 shots, 18 of them on target, and squandered 8 clear chances. A conversion rate of only 15% lays bare the struggle Al-Hilal endured with the Uruguayan striker.
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Al-Hilal pays the price of the gamble
The problem is no longer merely technical. It has become an administrative and marketing crisis, because Al-Hilal now possess a player on a large salary and with a high financial value who is not a key element within the project.
They have tried repeatedly to offload him, whether by sale or loan, yet every negotiation ran into the financial aspects. That has left the deal suspended, and Al-Hilal bear the consequences of a decision that originally rested on a technical conviction from Inzaghi.
Nunez alone cannot be held responsible for what happened. What is certain is that the Italian coach placed the biggest bet on him, and that bet has not paid off so far. Al-Hilal are left facing one of the most difficult files in the transfer market, paying the price for a decision that was supposed to lead the team to the summit but instead handed them a crisis that has still not ended.