Liverpool eye free Darwin Nunez return among five transfer targets as window opens

Liverpool are targeting as many as five new signings as the summer transfer window opens, with a potential free-transfer return for Darwin Nunez among the most eye-catching possibilities under new manager Andoni Iraola.

Nunez left Anfield for Saudi side Al Hilal last summer, but the 26-year-old Uruguay forward now appears set for a swift return to European football. A reunion with Liverpool has been mooted, though alternative clubs are also said to be in the picture. The key factor that could make a deal viable is the prospect of Nunez arriving on a free transfer — a very different proposition from the club-record fee Liverpool paid to sign him from Benfica.

His time in Saudi Arabia has been mixed. Despite being left out of Al Hilal’s domestic league squad for the second half of the season, Nunez contributed a crucial brace in an AFC Champions League win over Al Wahda in February and has registered a goal or assist every 120 minutes across his appearances. He has been named in Uruguay’s squad for the 2026 World Cup, giving Iraola a chance to assess him in competitive action before making any commitment.

Also on Liverpool’s radar is Club Brugge defender Joel Ordonez, who is representing Ecuador at the World Cup. The 22-year-old centre-back was part of an Ecuador defensive unit that conceded just five goals across 18 qualifying matches — a record that has drawn attention from clubs across Europe. Ordonez appeared in all 10 of Brugge’s Champions League fixtures last season and featured in each of the team’s final eight World Cup qualifiers, with Ecuador keeping seven clean sheets in those games.

Ordonez signed a contract extension with Brugge in September, which means he is unlikely to be available cheaply, but his versatility and age profile fit the profile of player Liverpool have typically targeted in recent windows.

Liverpool have already moved quickly in the early stages of the window, appointing Iraola as Arne Slot’s successor and completing the signing of Jeremy Jacquet as their first arrival of the summer. The club’s focus now shifts to strengthening the squad ahead of the new Premier League season, with the World Cup providing both an opportunity to scout targets and a potential complication in finalising deals before the tournament concludes.