Trabzonspor Targets Darwin Núñez Amid Al-Hilal Tensions
Trabzonspor have taken a bold step into the summer market. According to renowned Turkish journalist Yagiz Sabuncuoglu, the Black Sea club have reached an agreement with Darwin Núñez – but the real battle has only just begun.
The agreement is with the player. Not his club. Negotiations with Al-Hilal are ongoing and described as complicated, which is hardly a surprise given the numbers involved and the context around the Uruguayan’s situation.
Al-Hilal paid Liverpool a fee of 53 million euros for Núñez only last year. He is tied to the Saudi club until 2028. That long contract and the initial outlay mean Al-Hilal are under no pressure to sell cheaply, and Sabuncuoglu’s report does not specify what kind of transfer fee they are now demanding.
Wage Issues
The wage issue is just as thorny. Núñez is said to be earning around 15 million euros net per year at Al-Hilal. Trabzonspor, who finished third in the most recent Süper Lig season, can reportedly stretch to a maximum of eight million euros annually. For the deal to happen, the striker would have to accept a significant pay cut.
Current Situation
So why is a sale even on the table?
Because Núñez has been frozen out. Al-Hilal are currently completely open to selling the 27-year-old after he was abruptly dropped at the start of February following the arrival of Karim Benzema. Under the strict foreign-player quota in the Saudi Pro League, the club had to remove one foreign 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 being sidelined, his numbers were solid: nine goals and five assists in 24 games for Al-Hilal.
Trabzonspor see opportunity where Al-Hilal see surplus.
Reunion in Trabzon
In Trabzon, Núñez would walk into a reunion that would light up any marketing campaign. Between 2022 and 2025, he shared Liverpool’s attack with Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian star has now arrived at Trabzonspor on a free transfer, greeted by huge fanfare after leaving Anfield.
The prospect is obvious: Salah feeding Núñez again, this time in claret and blue, not red. For a traditional powerhouse from north-eastern Turkey trying to crack open the Istanbul dominance, that vision is powerful. With Salah already in and Núñez targeted, Trabzonspor want to take on the heavyweights led by serial champions Galatasaray and chase their first league title since 2022.
Deal Structure
The structure of the deal could be decisive. Trabzonspor are said to prefer a loan with a purchase option. It would limit their immediate financial risk and give Núñez a chance to relaunch his career in Europe without all parties committing from day one. Whether Al-Hilal, who invested heavily just last year, will accept that kind of arrangement is another matter entirely.
Transfer History
There is also a place in the transfer history books at stake. If the eventual fee reaches the expected level, Núñez would become only the ninth footballer ever to break the 200-million-euro barrier in cumulative transfer fees. So far, clubs have paid a total of 184 million euros for the former Liverpool forward. He would need at least 16 million euros more to cross that landmark.
The numbers are big. The questions even bigger. Will Al-Hilal cash in on a sidelined asset, will Núñez sacrifice part of his salary for a fresh start, and will Trabzonspor really roll out a front line of Mohamed Salah and Darwin Núñez in the Süper Lig?
