Al Hilal's Shake-Up: Nunez Labeled the Weakest Link and a Local Squad Reboot May Be Coming

Background

Hamad Al-Muntashri, the Saudi football legend, launched a sharp critique of Darwin Nunez, Al Hilal's forward, arguing he is the weakest link in the team’s system and should be dropped from the local squad soon.

Roster Debate and Key Quotes

In remarks on the Dawriya Ghair program, Al-Muntashri said, "No doubt we will see Joao Cancelo in Al Hilal's domestic list at the start of the winter transfer window."

The remarks came after Cancelo's assist helped Al Hilal to a 1-0 victory at Sharjah on Monday, in the sixth round of the Elite AFC Champions League group phase.

Al-Muntashri added, "For me, Cancelo should be registered instead of Darwin Nunez—the best option, because Nunez is the least valuable in Al Hilal's system."

He continued, "Some prefer Cancelo over Kalidou Koulibaly, but Koulibaly is irreplaceable, even with Hassan Tambakti, Ali Al-Bulaihi, Ali Logami, and Youssef Akhtishik in the squad."

He concluded, "The least damage would be to drop Nunez; Cancelo would be a big addition to Al Hilal with Marcus Leonardo in the squad."

Injury, Form, and Stats

Prior to this, Al Hilal had already sidelined Cancelo from the domestic list after an injury in September, with Marcus Leonardo stepping in and thriving, compensating for Nunez's decline.

Since arriving at the club from Liverpool last summer, Nunez has appeared in 12 matches, scoring 5 goals and providing 3 assists, hampered by a run of injuries.

Ultimately, the discussion underscores the ongoing balancing act as Al Hilal weighs local roster rules against a bid to maximize form for both the domestic league and continental competition.

Punchline 1: If football were a sniper’s alley, Nunez’s timing would be the target that never lands.

Punchline 2: Cancelo’s arrival could finally turn Al Hilal’s attack from a coffee break into a precision shot—quick, clean, and oddly satisfying.