Speculation over the future of Darwin Nunez has intensified this summer since the striker left Liverpool for Al-Hilal last year.
His situation in Saudi Arabia changed further once Mohamed Salah completed his own move to Trabzonspor.
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Nunez has struggled for playing time since Karim Benzema’s arrival at Al-Hilal in January. His market value has fallen from around €35 million to close to €20 million over the past year, one of the steepest drops in the Saudi Pro League.
Trabzonspor identified Nunez as a target to strengthen their attack following Salah’s arrival.
Talks between the Turkish club and Al-Hilal picked up pace in recent days, with Trabzonspor president Ertugrul Dogan and vice-president Ibrahim Sahinkaya leading direct negotiations.
According to Yagiz Sabuncuoglu, Trabzonspor have now reached an agreement with Nunez. Negotiations are ongoing to finalise the transfer with Al-Hilal.
The prospect of playing alongside Salah again is reported to have been a key factor in Nunez’s decision.
The pair were teammates at Liverpool, where Nunez arrived from Benfica in 2022 and Salah spent his entire Premier League career before joining Trabzonspor this summer.
The deal under discussion is structured as a loan.
Trabzonspor have proposed an €8 million payment for the season, well below the roughly €20 million Nunez currently earns at Al-Hilal.
Al-Hilal signed Nunez from Liverpool for €53 million last year. A loan move would allow the Saudi club to ease the weight of his salary while giving him a platform in Turkey and in European competition to rebuild his value.
Nunez made 24 appearances for Al-Hilal last season across the Saudi Pro League, the AFC Champions League Elite and the King’s Cup, scoring nine goals with five assists.
Over his career, he has scored 117 goals and provided 51 assists in 306 appearances.
Trabzonspor’s push for Nunez follows their high-profile deal for Salah, who signed a two-year contract in Turkey after leaving Liverpool as a free agent.
The Egyptian is reported to earn €17 million a year at his new club.
Besiktas have also been credited with interest in Nunez this summer, though Trabzonspor’s advanced talks with Al-Hilal put them ahead in the race.
A final outcome on the move is expected soon, with the formal transfer still to be completed.
🚨 Trabzonspor, Darwin Núñez ile anlaştı. Al-Hilal ile transferi sonuçlandırmak için görüşmeler devam ediyor! pic.twitter.com/JARTGMfl6U
— Yağız Sabuncuoğlu (@yagosabuncuoglu) August 13, 2026