Darwin Núñez Transfer to Trabzonspor: A Game-Changer in Turkish Football
Trabzonspor are pushing for one of the boldest transfers of the summer – and they already have the striker’s green light.
Renowned Turkish journalist Yagiz Sabuncuoglu reports that the Black Sea club have reached an agreement with Darwin Núñez on personal terms. The real battle now sits with Al-Hilal, and that part of the deal could get messy.
The Saudi giants paid Liverpool around €53 million for Núñez just last year and tied him down until 2028. He is not a distressed asset, at least on paper, and there is no indication they will accept anything below what they consider his true value. Sabuncuoglu’s report does not specify the fee Al-Hilal are demanding, only that talks are ongoing.
The financial gap is obvious. Núñez is said to earn roughly €15 million net per season in Saudi Arabia. Trabzonspor, who finished third in the Süper Lig last term, can reportedly stretch to a maximum of €8 million a year. For the move to happen, the Uruguayan would need to take a significant pay cut.
So why is this even on the table?
Because Al-Hilal are ready to sell.
Núñez, now 27, was abruptly frozen out in early February after Karim Benzema’s arrival. Under the Saudi Pro League’s strict foreign-player limit, Al-Hilal had to remove one overseas star from their domestic squad. They chose Núñez.
His season effectively stopped there. From that point, he made only two further appearances in the AFC Champions League up to mid-February and has now gone around six months without a competitive game. Before being sidelined, he had posted a respectable return: nine goals and five assists in 24 matches for Al-Hilal.
For a forward in his supposed prime, that kind of exile bites. A move to Trabzonspor offers a way out – and something else as well.
A reunion.
Between 2022 and 2025, Núñez shared a forward line with Mohamed Salah at Liverpool. The Egyptian superstar has just arrived in Trabzon on a free transfer, greeted by huge fanfare after his Anfield exit. The prospect of Salah and Núñez leading the line again, this time in the claret and blue of Trabzonspor, would instantly transform the club’s attacking profile and the league’s global visibility.
That is exactly what the club’s hierarchy are dreaming of. With Salah already in the building and Núñez targeted as the next marquee piece, the traditional powerhouse from Turkey’s north-east want to crash the Istanbul duopoly, take on Galatasaray and the other heavyweights, and mount a serious push for a first league title since 2022.
Trabzonspor’s preferred formula is clear: a loan deal with a purchase option. It would limit their immediate risk while giving them control if Núñez explodes in the Süper Lig. Whether Al-Hilal are willing to accept such a structure is another matter entirely.
There is also a place in the record books at stake. If the eventual transfer fee hits the expected range, Núñez would become only the ninth player in football history to surpass €200 million in cumulative transfer fees over a career. At present, the total outlay on him stands at €184 million. Any new deal worth at least €16 million would push him over that landmark.
For now, Trabzonspor have the player on side, the project laid out, and the city buzzing at the idea of Salah and Núñez terrorising Turkish defences. The question is simple: will Al-Hilal open the door wide enough for this audacious move to actually happen?
