Trabzonspor Targets Darwin Núñez for Reunion with Salah
Trabzonspor have taken a bold step into the summer market, reaching an agreement with Darwin Núñez over personal terms, according to renowned Turkish journalist Yagiz Sabuncuoglu.
Now comes the hard part: convincing Al-Hilal.
The Saudi club paid Liverpool €53 million for Núñez just last year and tied the Uruguayan down until 2028. With that contract length and their initial outlay, Al-Hilal are under no pressure to sell cheaply and are expected to hold firm until an offer matches their valuation. Sabuncuoglu’s report does not disclose the fee they are demanding.
A pay cut for a fresh start
For Núñez, the move would not just be a change of league but a financial sacrifice.
He is believed to earn around €15 million net per season at Al-Hilal. Trabzonspor, who finished third in the last Süper Lig campaign, can reportedly stretch only to about €8 million annually. Any deal would therefore hinge on Núñez accepting a significant pay cut to relaunch his career on the Black Sea coast.
Trabzonspor’s preferred structure is clear: a loan with an option to buy. Whether that fits Al-Hilal’s plans is another matter entirely.
Frozen out in Saudi Arabia
On the Saudi side, the door is open. Right now, Al-Hilal are said to be completely willing to sell.
Núñez, 27, was abruptly frozen out at the start of February after Karim Benzema arrived. Because of the Saudi Pro League’s strict foreign-player quota, Al-Hilal had to remove one overseas player from their domestic squad. They chose Núñez.
From there, his season simply stopped. He made only two further appearances in the AFC Champions League up to mid-February and has now gone half a year without a competitive match. Before the exile, his numbers were solid: nine goals and five assists in 24 games for Al-Hilal.
A striker in his prime, locked on the sidelines. No wonder Europe – and now Turkey – have started circling.
Salah and Núñez, together again?
The move would also reunite Núñez with a familiar face.
Between 2022 and 2025, the Uruguay international shared Liverpool’s frontline with Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian star has just joined Trabzonspor on a free transfer, greeted by huge fanfare after his emotional exit from Anfield.
Now imagine that pairing reborn in claret and blue. Salah cutting in from the right. Núñez attacking the space, stretching defences, feeding off crosses and chaos.
That is the vision driving Trabzonspor’s push: a traditional powerhouse from north-eastern Turkey arming themselves to go after the Istanbul giants, led by serial champions Galatasaray, and hunting their first league title since 2022.
A place in transfer history on the line
There is another subplot.
If the fee for Núñez reaches the expected level, he would become only the ninth player in football history to break the €200 million barrier in cumulative transfer fees. At present, clubs have paid a combined €184 million for him across his career. He would need at least another €16 million to cross that landmark.
A move to Trabzonspor, even on loan with a later option, could be the deal that pushes him into that elite bracket.
For now, the agreement with the player is in place. The wage gap is defined. The structure is on the table.
The only question left: will Al-Hilal blink, or will Trabzonspor’s most ambitious attacking project in years stay trapped in negotiation limbo?
