Benzema indirectly causes former Premier League star to disappear in Saudi Arabia

Striker Darwin Nunez was taken off Al Hilal's official roster following the acquisition of Karim Benzema.

According to Fabrizio Romano, the forward Darwin Nunez is now only eligible to play for Al Hilal in the AFC Champions League and is not registered for domestic matches. This means he can participate in at most five games until the end of the season.

The main reason behind this decision is believed to be the arrival of Karim Benzema, who transferred from Al Ittihad, forcing Al Hilal to adjust their registered squad.

Earlier, in January, there were rumors that Nunez might move to Fenerbahce. However, the parties failed to reach a final agreement. Turkish media also repeatedly reported that Nunez was dissatisfied with life in Saudi Arabia and wished to return to Europe in the near future.

Nunez joined Al Hilal in August 2025 after a disappointing spell at Liverpool. He was sold for £46 million, a significant loss compared to the £64 million Liverpool had paid to acquire him.

This season, the 26-year-old forward has scored 7 goals and provided 5 assists in 22 appearances. However, this seems to fall short of the club's expectations, especially given his reported weekly wage of around £400,000 under a contract lasting until June 30, 2028.

Not only Nunez, but former Arsenal defender Pablo Mari has also been removed from the registered list. The Spanish center-back made 22 appearances for Arsenal before leaving in 2022, but has only played 5 matches since then.

Nunez is not the first former Liverpool player to face difficulties in Saudi Arabia. Last year, Roberto Firmino was excluded from Al Ahli’s squad despite having contributed significantly to their Asian Champions League Elite title and earning the tournament’s Best Player award. Nearly a year ago, Al Ahli removed him to make room for his compatriot Galeno. Firmino is currently playing for Al Sadd in Qatar.

Amidst these personnel changes, former Chelsea star Kalidou Koulibaly signed a new contract and remains with Al Hilal. Ruben Neves, another ex-Premier League player rumored to leave in January, is also likely to stay in Saudi Arabia.

Despite internal upheavals, Al Hilal maintains steady form, leading the league table by a one-point margin while Al Nassr, featuring Cristiano Ronaldo closely trails behind.