Romano Quashes Nunez Return Speculation as Liverpool Striker Search Continues

The rumour mill has gone into overdrive regarding Darwin Nunez and a potential Liverpool reunion, but Fabrizio Romano has moved swiftly to pour cold water on the speculation.

Uruguayan journalist Juan Pablo Romero had claimed that Nunez's return to Anfield was a done deal, insisting on Carpe Deportiva that "everything is DONE for Darwin to come back" to the Reds for the 2026/27 campaign. However, Romano's sources tell a rather different story.

According to the transfer expert, those in Nunez's inner circle have flatly denied the reports, with Romano confirming via X that "sources close to the striker play down reports about Darwin Nunez return to Liverpool this summer." He subsequently doubled down on his YouTube channel, stating plainly that "nothing is ongoing" between the two parties.

"They say it's not true, that there's nothing ongoing with Nunez and Liverpool," Romano elaborated, adding that whilst a fresh club move is expected for the Uruguayan this summer, there remains "nothing advanced" with the Merseysiders at present.

The striker's Liverpool chapter makes for curious reading. Nunez arrived from Benfica in 2021 for approximately £64m on the back of an impressive 34 goals in 41 appearances, yet never quite managed to justify the investment. Over 143 appearances, he mustered just 40 goals—a tally that fell short of the expectations that accompanied his high-profile switch to Anfield.

Last summer, he departed for Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal in a deal worth around £46m. His spell in the Middle East has proven similarly underwhelming. Nine goals in 24 appearances represents a modest return, and his standing at the club has deteriorated following the arrival of Karim Benzema, with Nunez subsequently omitted from Al-Hilal's AFC Champions League squad.

Reports had suggested he could depart the Saudi outfit on a free transfer this summer, with Liverpool potentially in the market for striker reinforcements given Hugo Ekitike's expected absence through an Achilles injury during much of next season. Yet for now, at least, any romantic notion of a Nunez homecoming appears to be precisely that—romantic fiction.