Darwin Núñez Nears Return to Portugal from Al Hilal

Darwin Núñez is on the move again. The Uruguayan striker is closing in on a departure from Al Hilal, with a loan deal being put in place that includes an option to buy running until June 2027.

He is currently with the Saudi club at their pre-season camp in Austria, but his mind has been elsewhere. Núñez has been pushing hard for an exit and now has the green light to leave under the proposed arrangement.

Barcelona looked, but didn’t leap

His situation inevitably attracted attention. FC Barcelona had him on their radar as a lower-cost alternative to Julian Álvarez, a way of adding firepower without committing to a blockbuster fee.

His representatives even offered him to Barça. The Catalan club studied the proposal, weighed it up, and then let it pass. No bid, no formal move, just a brief flirtation that went nowhere.

Their priority remains Álvarez, even as the realisation grows inside the club that prising the Argentine away may prove impossible.

Portugal calls again

While Barcelona hesitated, Portugal moved into pole position.

According to Saudi outlet Arriyadiyah, Núñez is now close to a return to the Portuguese league, with Porto and Benfica emerging as the leading contenders for his signature. For a player searching for rhythm and confidence, it is familiar ground.

Initially, Núñez tried to rip up his Al Hilal contract altogether. That idea has been shelved. Instead, all sides have settled on a loan solution.

To make it happen, the striker is ready to sacrifice part of his salary, a significant concession for a player in his prime. Al Hilal will still shoulder a portion of his wages for one season, easing the financial burden on his next club and smoothing the path to an agreement.

Talks are active, with a clear deadline: everyone wants the deal wrapped up before Al Hilal fly back to Saudi Arabia on 3 August.

Benfica memories, Porto interest

For Núñez, Portugal is not just another stop. It is where his career truly exploded.

Benfica beat Barcelona to his signature when they signed him from Almería for €25 million, a move that turned into a major success. In Lisbon, he found goals, noise, and momentum. His performances there convinced Liverpool to spend more than €75 million to take him to the Premier League.

That leap never quite delivered what either club or player expected. Núñez struggled to fully impose himself in England and then failed to settle during his spell in Saudi Arabia. The move to Al Hilal, designed as a reset, has not provided the stability he needed.

Now the idea of going back to a league he knows, to stadiums where he has already dominated, holds obvious appeal.

He is not short of suitors. Atlanta United from MLS and Besiktas both made approaches, but neither could reach an agreement that suited all parties. The financial package and the player’s own preferences pushed those options to the side.

Barcelona, too, were offered the chance to take him on loan. They listened, then turned back to their main objective: Julian Álvarez.

A career at a crossroads

Núñez stands at a crossroads that feels decisive. A return to Portugal, whether in Benfica red or Porto blue, offers him the chance to reconnect with the version of himself that once terrorised defences and commanded huge transfer fees.

Negotiations continue, the clock ticking towards 3 August. If the deal lands in time, Núñez will step back into a league that knows him well.

The question now is simple: can Portugal relaunch a career that once looked unstoppable?