Juventus have started to move their pieces on the summer chessboard. According to Sky Sport, the Turin club have made a preliminary enquiry for Al-Hilal forward Nunez, testing the waters as they map out a transfer window that could define their next cycle.
This is not yet a negotiation. Not yet a bid. For now, Juventus have simply contacted Al-Hilal to understand the conditions of a possible deal: price, availability, room for manoeuvre. Only then will they decide whether to push harder.
They know it will not be cheap.
Nunez left Liverpool for Saudi Arabia only last summer in a €53 million move and signed a contract running until June 2028. Any exit a year later would require serious money and a clear strategy, not an opportunistic punt. That is why the Bianconeri are running the numbers before they even think about formal talks.
And one factor overshadows everything in Turin: Champions League qualification.
Juventus sit fifth in Serie A on 57 points, one behind Como, with seven games left in a tight, nervous sprint for the top four. The difference between fourth and fifth is not just prestige; it is tens of millions of euros. With that, you can go for a player like Nunez. Without it, you probably cannot.
A strange season in the Gulf
For the 26-year-old, the last year has been anything but straightforward.
He arrived at Al-Hilal with the profile and expectations that come with a €53 million fee and a Premier League pedigree. In the first half of the campaign, he looked settled enough: 16 league appearances, six goals, and a regular role in the side. Across all competitions, he racked up 24 games, scoring nine times and adding five assists. Respectable numbers, the sort that suggest a player who has adapted, if not exploded.
Then came the winter break. And with it, a brutal twist.
Coach Inzaghi made a technical call that stunned many: Nunez was left out of Al-Hilal’s list of eight registered foreign players for domestic competitions. One decision, and his league season was effectively over. No rotation, no late cameos, no chance to fight his way back in. Just a closed door.
From regular starter to spectator. Not through injury, not through form, but through selection.
Continental stage, European shop window
Nunez is not completely frozen out, though. He remains eligible for Al-Hilal’s continental campaign and has used that platform to remind Europe he has not lost his edge.
In the AFC Champions League Elite, he has made six appearances, scoring three goals and delivering one assist. It is not just a consolation stage; it might be his last major showcase before a return to Europe takes shape.
On April 13, Al-Hilal face Al-Sadd in the round of 16. For Nunez, that tie carries a double weight. It is a knockout game in Asia. It might also be an audition for clubs watching from across the Mediterranean, Juventus among them.
If he keeps scoring, the conversations in Turin will grow louder.
Juve’s calculations
Back in Italy, Juventus are trapped in a delicate balancing act. They like the profile: a forward in his prime, proven in Europe, still hungry after a turbulent year. But the operation hinges on two things they cannot fully control yet: their league finish and Al-Hilal’s demands.
Without Champions League football, the financial risk of investing heavily in a player with a long, lucrative Saudi contract becomes far harder to justify. With it, the picture changes. Prize money, visibility, and the need to deepen the squad for a heavier calendar all push them towards bolder moves.
For Nunez, the coming months could redraw his career path. For Juventus, they could determine whether this remains a simple enquiry filed away in a scouting report, or the first step towards a major summer signing.
Seven Serie A matches, one Champions League race, and a forward in Saudi Arabia playing for his next big move. The margins could not be finer.
