Al Hilal
Darwin Núñez: Liverpool’s expensive gamble and exile at Al Hilal
From an £85m Liverpool move to exclusion at Al Hilal, Núñez’s career has been unsettled. In decline.
Darwin Núñez’s career has been defined by extremes. Beginnings in his homeland and an eye-catching spell at Almeria, where he scored 16 goals, led to a move to Benfica. Forty-eight strikes across two seasons in Portugal convinced Liverpool to pay an £85 million fee, including add-ons (£105 million at the time in dollar terms).
His arrival in April 2022 followed goals in both legs against Liverpool in the Champions League quarter-final, moments that helped persuade Jürgen Klopp to press for the signing. Early signs at Anfield were promising: a goal in the Community Shield against Manchester City and a goal and an assist on his first Premier League outing raised expectations.
But inconsistency arrived quickly. An impetuous headbutt against Crystal Palace on his first competitive Anfield appearance earned a straight red card. A debut season of 15 goals was often overshadowed by glaring misses. A better second campaign produced 18 goals and 13 assists in all competitions, yet opinion remained divided.
Language difficulties and questions over his ball-striking technique were noted factors in his adaptation. Power was often prioritised over finesse. Those recurring concerns, combined with a tame seven-goal return in his final season and the arrival of a different tactical approach under Arne Slot, ultimately cost him his place at Liverpool.
Liverpool recouped £46 million when Núñez moved to Al Hilal. Expectations of a revival in the Saudi Pro League have not been met. He managed seven strikes in 23 appearances across all competitions in his first half-season in the Middle East. Al Hilal have been unbeaten and lead the standings, but Núñez has been removed from the club’s squad list for league matches for the remainder of the campaign.
The arrival of Karim Benzema from Al Ittihad has displaced Núñez. To accommodate Benzema within Saudi Pro League registration rules regarding foreign players, Núñez was removed and can play just five more league games this term, though he remains eligible to feature in the AFC Champions League. With limited immediate options, a move looks more likely in the summer.
Al Hilal
January window spenders: who spent big and how the market moved
January window: English clubs led the spending as Saudi and Brazil injected late-market drama. more.
The January window settled into a narrative of concentrated spending and late-market drama. English clubs combined to outspend the rest of the continent, their £390 million ($530 million) outlay dwarfing other top divisions. Meanwhile the Saudi market and Brazil’s strengthened finances injected headline moves.
Lazio were unusually active despite a prior transfer ban. The Romans replaced Taty Castellanos and Mattéo Guendouzi, who moved to West Ham United and Fenerbahçe respectively, by signing Ajax’s Kenneth Taylor for just shy of €17 million ($32 million) and adding young centre forward Petar Rakov. The fees recouped left Lazio with a net spend of -€23 million (-$27 million).
Fenerbahçe’s window pivoted around Guendouzi (€28 million) and the late acquisition of N’Golo Kanté on a free after his return from Saudi Arabia. The club banked on established midfield reinvention to challenge Galatasaray at the top.
Bournemouth again invested in youth, paying €28.5 million ($33.7 million) for Vasco de Gama prospect Rayan and also signing Golden Boy nominee Alex Tóth. Tottenham’s January activity saw Conor Gallagher arrive alongside Brazilian left back João Souza, though many supporters felt more reinforcements were needed. Sporting director Johan Lange asserted after the window that it was important the club remained disciplined amid potential temptations.
West Ham strengthened early, paying a combined €52 million ($61 million) for Castellanos and Gil Vicente’s Pablo to reshape their attack. They also added Adama Traoré for a small fee and brought in Axel Disasi on loan from Chelsea.
Atlético Madrid spent late, bringing in Ademola Lookman from Atalanta for €35 million ($41 million) and signing Elche prospect Rodrigo Mendoza as a potential long-term addition after Giacomo Raspadori’s exit.
Flamengo flexed improved finances following a strong Club World Cup showing, reporting club-record revenue of €249 million ($294 million) for the first three quarters of 2025 and setting a Brazilian transfer record by paying €41 million ($48 million) to re-sign Lucas Paquetá from West Ham.
In Saudi Arabia Karim Benzema’s move from Al Ittihad to Al Hilal coincided with Al Hilal leading Al Nassr in the title race. Cristiano Ronaldo’s fallout is believed linked to that switch; Ronaldo has gone on strike while Benzema scored a hat-trick on debut. Al Hilal also extended Rúben Neves and added Mohamed Kader Meïté, with the club labelled the “Real Madrid of Asia” by Benzema.
Al Hilal
Meïté Agrees Fee with Al Hilal as United’s January Window Looks Restrained
Meïté looks set for Al Hilal after a reported €30m agreement, leaving United’s January options thin.
Mohamed Kader Meïté is reported to be on the verge of joining Al Hilal after the Saudi Pro League club agreed a deal with Rennes worth in the region of €30 million (£26 million, $35.9 million), per Fabrizio Romano. The move deprives Manchester United of one of the few targets they were linked with for January.
Reports acknowledged “approaches” from Premier League clubs, but Meïté is thought to have seen the chance to work under Simone Inzaghi in the Middle East as the “ideal step” in his development. January is shaping up to be a period of consolidation rather than expansion for United.
The Red Devils dropped to a lowly eighth on this year’s footballing rich list. Without European competition to call upon, the club’s revenues will fall further in the next set of accounts, limiting spending power. The financial reach of the brand means United will not be entirely cash-strapped—more than £200 million was splashed on just three forwards last summer—but there are clear constraints.
Ruben Amorim expressed his frustration before his departure. “I have the feeling that if we have to play a perfect 3-4-3 we need to spend a lot of money and need time,” he said. “I’m starting to understand that is not going to happen so maybe I have to adapt.” At his farewell press conference he added: “Every department, the scouting department, the sports director needs to do their job,” and “I will do mine for 18 months and then we move on.”
Michael Carrick, now interim coach, has at least one week to prepare for each of United’s remaining 15 matches with the players available. There has been continued talk of Kobbie Mainoo, Joshua Zirkzee and even Bruno Fernandes leaving in January, but if there are no incomings United are hardly in a position to willingly weaken their own hand.
Looking ahead to the summer, United’s attacking depth, reinforced last year, shows in the numbers: second in the Premier League for actual non-penalty goals and expected goals, and top of the division for shots and shots on target. Casemiro will have to be replaced, with Elliot Anderson, Adam Wharton and Carlos Baleba considered the likeliest candidates. Replacing Bruno Fernandes would be risky, though this may be the last summer to cash in on the talismanic playmaker, who has left the door open to an exit after the World Cup.
Al Ahli
Saudi Pro League Weighs Salah and Vinicius as 2026 Recruitment Pivot
Saudi clubs targeting Mohamed Salah and Vinicius Junior as veteran departures open 2026 opportunity.
The Saudi Pro League has identified Mohamed Salah and Vinicius Junior as headline targets as the competition plans another recruitment push. League owners are positioned to capitalise on a changing roster of high-profile arrivals whose contracts begin to expire in 2026.
Salah has long featured on Saudi wishlists. Making a ‘local’ Arab star the face of the league would carry major regional significance. Interest in Salah “has been no secret in the past. But with his Liverpool future uncertain beyond this season following a difficult few months, the Telegraph has reported that Saudi interest is rising again.” Enquiries regarding the possibility of prising him away from Liverpool this month are said to have failed. The 33-year-old faces a decision in the coming months about whether to leave Anfield and, if so, whether to remain in Europe or move further afield. There is no doubt that the money on offer in Saudi Arabia cannot be rivalled anywhere else.
Vinicius Junior represents a different proposition. At 25 he is notably younger than many recent signings to the league. Contract talks with Real Madrid stalled due to a strained relationship with Xabi Alonso, and the player is reported to be seeking a salary Madrid are unwilling to meet as he seeks to re-establish alpha dog status. With his contract running until 2027 the Brazilian is approaching a career crossroad and will need to choose his next step.
The pathway for fresh investment is partly created by impending contract expiries among the first wave of arrivals. Several veteran stars at Saudi clubs are on track to become free agents in 2026, potentially freeing funds for new signings. Clubs with common ownership among the biggest domestic teams are well funded and can present competitive proposals to players and their advisers.
The dynamic is simple: a transition from an opening era of veteran imports to a new recruitment phase that targets elite talent still in their peak years. For the Saudi Pro League, Salah and Vinicius Jr are emblematic of that next phase.
