In a way, Darwin Nunez has replaced both Sadio Mane and another version of Roberto Firmino. When he left Anfield - perhaps for the last time wearing a Liverpool shirt - he was replaced by Lewis Koumas.
Nunez received a standing ovation from the crowd, accompanied by cheers when leaving the field in the pre-season friendly match against Athletic Bilbao.
It was an emotional farewell, but also full of disappointment for the player who was a record signing for the club. Nunez made an impressive debut when scoring in the English Super Cup, while Manchester City rookie Erling Haaland did not.
However, since then, the Uruguayan has only scored 39 more goals in official matches, compared to 124 for Haaland. The comparison between them, which was once bustling, has now been put aside.
When the two arrived in England in 2022, Nunez was seen as Firmino's long-term successor, in the context of Mane joining Bayern Munich. The striker has a higher fee than Haaland - initially £64 million and could increase to £85 million, although his salary is significantly lower. Therefore, moving to Al-Hilal for £46.2 million is both a significant loss and a profitable deal for Liverpool.
Napoli's proposal is lower and includes a delay in payment of the first installments until 2026. Nunez is also a top target for AC Milan, but the possibility of them willing to spend up to 50 million pounds is very low. Therefore, selling Nunez to Al-Hilal seems like a way for Liverpool to limit the damage.
However, the applause at Anfield on Tuesday was not for the bargaining power of Liverpool's board. Nunez left memories, and many of them were unforgettable moments.
The Uruguayan striker always brings entertainment with his unpredictable instincts. There are countless videos on social media combining goals from other strikers, while for Nunez, there is a series of clips combining incredible misses.
But then, as many people would say, if it were not like that, he would not have been Darwin Nunez. He is a particularly quirky player. Before being pushed to the bench by Arne Slot, it seemed that every Liverpool game revolved around Nunez.
The 26-year-old striker is the embodiment of chaos. Sometimes, people try to argue that everything is actually purposeful, that Nunez knows exactly what he is doing. But then he did something completely random to prove that he could not control himself. And no one - from opponents, teammates, coaches to Nunez himself - knows what will happen next.
Nunez has scored just seven goals in 47 appearances this season. His most recent goal came from a clearance by goalkeeper Ivo Grbic (Sheffield United), when the ball accidentally hit his thigh and flew into the net.
The striker born in 1996 has only started 8 Premier League games under Arne Slot, who prioritized the use of Diogo Jota and winger Luis Diaz as a centre-forward. The Dutch strategist's playing style is less chaotic than under Jurgen Klopp. He did not operate on the belief that if Nunez caused enough trouble, the goal would come.
The Uruguayan left the Premier League with a strange statistic: no one has hit the goal as many times as him - 14 times. However, in their own way, Liverpool fans may still remember him, while opposing defenders do not. There were days when Nunez seemed unstoppable, except for himself.
Therefore, the Saudi Pro League certainly does not know what awaits them ahead.
