Darwin Núñez Set for Trabzonspor Reunion with Mohamed Salah

Darwin Núñez is on the move again. One year after a £46m switch to Al-Hilal, the former Liverpool striker is closing in on a surprise reunion with Mohamed Salah at Trabzonspor.

The Uruguayan’s departure from Anfield last summer was part of a ruthless reset. Liverpool banked more than £250m by moving on players deemed expendable, cash that underpinned a record £455m spending spree and delivered headline arrivals such as Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike, Giovanni Leoni, Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong. Núñez, once tipped to explode on Merseyside, left with an emotional farewell and the promise of a fresh start.

That restart never quite materialised in Saudi Arabia. Al-Hilal’s attack shifted again with the arrival of Karim Benzema, and Núñez quickly slipped into the “surplus to requirements” category for a second time in as many summers. Now, instead of leading a project in the Middle East, he is preparing for a very different stage.

Salah, who ended his glittering nine-year stay at Anfield this summer, signed a two-year deal with Trabzonspor last week. The idea of the pair linking up again, this time in the Black Sea city rather than under the lights at Anfield, has accelerated into a live possibility.

Turkish journalist Yagiz Sabuncuoglu reports that Trabzonspor have reached an agreement with Núñez and are now negotiating with Al-Hilal to finalise the move. Other outlets in Turkey indicate the deal is likely to be a loan rather than a permanent transfer.

A temporary switch would suit all parties. Núñez needs minutes, goals and noise around his name again. Trabzonspor get a high-ceiling forward to pair with Salah. Al-Hilal preserve their asset and, if the striker catches fire in the Süper Lig, his value spikes and the queue of European clubs grows longer.

It would not be the first escape route explored this summer. Talks with MLS side Atlanta surfaced last month but faded before reaching an advanced stage. Turkey, not the United States, now looks like the stage for his reset.

Núñez’s Liverpool story remains a curious one. On paper, 143 appearances, 40 goals and 26 assists is a respectable return, especially for a player still adapting to the Premier League’s pace and scrutiny. On the pitch, he brought chaos, movement and a constant threat in behind.

Yet the criticism rarely relented. Missed chances went viral. Price tags were weaponised. The debate around him often drowned out the numbers.

That reaction has baffled those who know him best. Atletico Madrid defender Alex Grimaldo, who played with Núñez at Benfica, has previously voiced his confusion at the backlash.

“I thought that when he went to Liverpool, he was perfect for the Premier League, the type of player, and for Liverpool above all,” Grimaldo told After de Post United, via El Universo. “He was a very fast, very powerful striker, with a lot of goals, a good shot.

“I think he’s scored a lot of goals, he’s played… I just don’t understand the criticism. It always happens that when there’s a very high price, they demand double or triple, and it’s not the player’s fault, because the player has nothing to do with the price. It’s between clubs.

“So, in the end, you go to a team like Liverpool, there’s pressure, they demand a lot of you. There's always criticism, but I think he’s scored a lot of goals and assists for Liverpool anyway.”

Now the focus shifts from judgment to opportunity. If the deal is completed, Núñez will walk into a Trabzonspor side suddenly fronted by Salah and framed as a genuine domestic force. A sharp, ruthless loan spell could drag him back into the European conversation and force Al-Hilal into a decision they did not expect to face so soon.

From Anfield to Riyadh to Trabzon, Núñez’s career has moved at speed. The next stop will reveal whether he is drifting between projects or finally landing somewhere he can truly take off.