27 Jun 2026 03:20:40
After watching Darwin Nunez at the World Cup, I think that if we signed him on a free transfer we would be getting massively ripped off.
27 Jun 2026 06:08:20
Did Darwin run over your cat or are you just here for aggro?
27 Jun 2026 08:06:19
Uruguay - deux points.
27 Jun 2026 09:27:26
When it was all over social media about him returning, I was 100% onboard if it was a free transfer, I watched him last night and have clear memories of why we were happy to sell him.
27 Jun 2026 09:59:16
I've been saying for some time, pound for pound possibly our biggest ever waste of money. In some people's eyes he's a pressing demon. Complete and utter b*******.
27 Jun 2026 10:04:01
I'm pretty sure it's Slot's fault that he didn't play well.
27 Jun 2026 10:10:35
Dude did not play for half a year. Was never going to be revolutionary this World Cup. Compounded that Uruguay as whole team did not play well.
27 Jun 2026 10:22:59
I agree, Rome.
Signing him proved to be a mistake, and some want to repeat that mistake with little or no evidence that it wouldn't be again.
People want to sign him on their terms too, but would Nunez even agree to those terms? Low wages, short term contract and a bit part player that could be sold again before his short term contract is up, at his age?
I'd be even more concerned about him coming back if he agreed to those terms.
27 Jun 2026 10:23:55
He'd have to be paying us to bring him back, I'm literally astounded anyone who watched him for 3 years wants him back. Yes, he gives his best, but so would I, he's constantly offside, and it got worse as it went, hasn't the brain capacity to improve or learn. Gave us some good memories, but on the whole, a massive failure for the money spent.
27 Jun 2026 10:33:54
Why was it a mistake? He scored some important goals for us and we recouped most of the money we paid when we sold him.
He wasn't amazing, but he wasn't as bad as some make out. Plus, he gave absolutely everything in pretty much every game.
Looked like a top lad to have around the squad too.
Would I advocate buying him again? Probably not, but on a free he'd be a decent signing and might actually be much better now the pressure is off. I think he would be worth a punt.
27 Jun 2026 11:17:23
"Pound for pound possibly our biggest ever waste of money".
None of this is anywhere near remotely true and all I need to do is use the Google machine to debunk this mess.
27 Jun 2026 11:19:50
Riosstepover, you're spot on, but a bit of baseless drama never goes amiss though, does it!
The biggest waste of money I can think of is Arthur. He was on big money, as well as the loan fees, and he played (from memory) 13 minutes.
Nunez is nowhere near the biggest waste of money. He scored crucial goals in a title winning team, and he got about 70+ goals and assists for us overall.
27 Jun 2026 11:23:58
When all this pining started a few weeks ago over a possible return for Nunez, I did mention then how useless he was first time around. He hasn't changed.
27 Jun 2026 11:32:32
Pound for pound, our biggest waste of money would have to be Keita. He has the title, in my opinion. At least in the last several years, anyway. I would have him back as a squad option only if he was on low-ish wages, and as a free.
I think people having hesitations in signing him would be justified.
Bowen is probably a better bet (for cheap), although he doesn't exactly have age on his side. He is British, though, which is much needed in that squad.
27 Jun 2026 11:38:34
Oli, you go and "debunk your Google". I use the word "possibly", I'm not stating a fact. I know you thought darling Darwin was a pressing demon, I just think that that is utter boll***s.
He has the brains of a sheep, is a complete and utter headless chicken, and in the main couldn't hit a cows arse with a banjo. I don't want him back anywhere near "my club".
27 Jun 2026 11:49:53
I'd second Keita as pound for pound biggest waste of money ever for us.
Or maybe Andy Carroll. It's a tough one.
27 Jun 2026 12:11:41
@Taurus01, why do people keep putting half @rsed excuses for him?
He had three years with us and never did enough to be our indisputable centre forward.
He was shunted in Saudi in favour of a 73-year-old Frenchman who is a million miles away from playing for France in the World Cup.
The reason he hasn't played for half a season is that his Saudi club didn't want him.
The reason he hasn't shone at the World Cup is because he isn't good enough for elite level football.
It's not his fault - he is what he is, which is a reasonable second tier level footballer.
Let it go, there are better options for covering when Hugo is out, like Munoz or even Gakpo (despite the queue that has formed to show him the door).
27 Jun 2026 12:24:11
Have to agree that Darwin is not good enough.
Hi regressed.
27 Jun 2026 12:25:17
I'm prone to spouting hyperbole, and folk jump on it, which is fair enough. Can I chuck Bentike into the mix?
27 Jun 2026 12:29:09
The Saudi club chose Benzema since he became available and he's a bigger name to get fans through the gates. It had nothing to do with how Darwin was playing.
I'm not saying Darwin is the best striker we ever had, but he is not this useless person people make out.
A useless striker would not score 18 goals in the season before Slot came (who did not start him much), but, hey, maybe I'm wrong.
27 Jun 2026 12:33:06
Now Benteke is a player we can all collectively agree was bloody terrible.
27 Jun 2026 12:48:07
Keita absolutely was the worst buy in the last 10 years. Benteke was pretty bad, and Arthur is a good shout too. Nunez is a long way behind those 3. I'm on the fence about taking him back, but he does look a long way from match fit, so prob not.
27 Jun 2026 12:48:17
Aquilani or Carroll for me... 20mil and 35mil doesn't seem like a lot nowadays, but back at their respective times it was a big chunk of money!
27 Jun 2026 12:49:32
The Saudi clubs are allowed 10 foreign players and 8 in the match day squad.
Darwin didn't get binned because of Benzema. He got binned because the club saw him as the 11th best foreigner on their books.
27 Jun 2026 13:01:04
Think people are comparing Nunez for when we bought him for 70mill n what was expected from him. He always tried but wasn't good enough, but he had Diaz, Gakpo, Jota to compete with, but now on a freebie n he knows he won't be a starter n is willing to accept that. I'd have him back. Look at the options up front.
Isak great but injury prone, Ekitike out injured for how long, who knows, Wirtz has been very underwhelming, another season like his last n he will be in the discussion about being one of the worst buys. Gakpo we all know what he does, the odd good game but does have a decent scoring record, so I'd take Nunez.
27 Jun 2026 13:39:15
Rio's, he didn't score enough important goals.
When we win the League, he wasn't even starting games regularly. He was our number nine but a wide player, Diaz, took that role.
We recouped most of the money because the club were prepared to let him go.
Why?
And by saying you'd take a £80m plus (with add ons) player back on a free about a year after we sold him, says to me that we made a mistake and so did his Saudi club.
27 Jun 2026 13:41:00
We could probably pick Josh Windass up for about 1.5 million, and I reckon he'd be happy with about 40k a week. Plus, and this is his major selling point, he understands the offside rule. I'm sure Iraola could turn him into a pressing monster as well. Keep people on here happy.
27 Jun 2026 13:42:04
OliRed, can you use your Google machine and can on here and debunk the Nunez mess, please?
While you're at it, Google who was MoTM in the CL final that you said Konate was.
27 Jun 2026 15:21:26
I fully agree with Rome regarding Nunez. Terrible player. The chances that that team created only for Nunez to somehow eventually make a balls of it are highly numerous. I was delighted to see him leave and we were lucky to get the money we received for him.
Bringing him back to the club is just nonsense. If anyone thinks that's a good idea, they need medication.
27 Jun 2026 15:54:40
Nobby Keita absolute waste of a player and human by all accounts.
Aqua
Benteke
Markovic
Keane
J cole (wages)
27 Jun 2026 16:04:43
If Jayden Danns could finally shake off his injury problems, would people not prefer to have him as the back up option on low wages instead of Nunez?
I actually liked Nunez, but I don't think it's the right move to bring him back.
Isak is hopefully going to have a great year. Gakpo can fill in up top. Ekitike will be back in a few months, and potentially Danns gets a few runs in the cup?