Juventus have taken a first, cautious step towards a move for Nunez, sounding out Al-Hilal over the forward’s availability as they sketch out their summer plans.
According to Sky Sport, the Turin club have lodged a preliminary inquiry, asking for clarity on the financial framework it would take to bring the 26-year-old back to Europe. No bid, no negotiations yet – just a calculated check of the temperature around a player whose career has veered sharply off script since leaving Liverpool.
He joined Al-Hilal only last summer in a €53 million deal, signing a contract through June 2028 and arriving as one of the Saudi Pro League’s marquee captures. The expectation was simple: become a reference point in attack, justify the fee, anchor a project built on star power.
For a while, he did his part.
Nunez played regularly in the first half of the campaign, featuring in 16 league matches and scoring six times. Across all competitions, he totalled 24 appearances, nine goals and five assists – solid numbers that hinted at a player settling into a new world, new rhythm, new demands.
Then came the winter break. And a brutal twist.
A technical decision by coach Inzaghi saw Nunez cut from Al-Hilal’s list of eight registered foreign players for domestic competition. No injury, no public fallout. Just a strategic call that pushed him to the margins overnight and locked him out of league action for the rest of the season.
From regular starter to spectator in one stroke.
His story in Saudi Arabia has not closed completely, though. While frozen out of the league, Nunez remains eligible for continental competition and has used the AFC Champions League Elite as his remaining stage. He has made six appearances in the tournament, scoring three goals and adding one assist, a reminder that his instincts in front of goal have not dulled.
Next up is Al-Sadd in the round of 16 on April 13, a tie that could double as an audition. If this is to be his final act with Al-Hilal, he has the platform to show European clubs – and Juventus in particular – that he still carries the edge and personality to lead a front line at the highest level.
In Turin, the calculations are as much about numbers on the pitch as on the balance sheet.
Juventus are carefully weighing the costs of any potential deal, aware that Al-Hilal will not easily write off a €53 million investment with four years left on the contract. The Bianconeri’s room to manoeuvre hinges heavily on one decisive factor: Champions League qualification.
Right now, that race is on a knife-edge.
Juve sit fifth in Serie A on 57 points, one behind Como, with seven matches left in a tight battle for the top four. The difference between fourth and fifth is not just prestige; it is tens of millions in revenue and the ability to chase players in Nunez’s bracket rather than settle for cheaper, stopgap options.
Secure Champions League football, and a formal bid becomes a realistic conversation. Miss out, and an operation of this scale could slip out of reach.
For Nunez, the coming months may define the direction of his prime years: remain a high-profile exile in the Gulf or force a route back into Europe’s elite. For Juventus, the question is just as sharp – can they finish strongly enough to turn a tentative phone call into a serious move for a striker who still believes he belongs under the brightest lights?
