Darwin Núñez Joins Al-Diriyah: No Turkish Reunion

Darwin Núñez has chosen his next stop – and it is not Turkey.

The Uruguayan striker is set to join Al-Diriyah from Al-Hilal in the current summer window, with a deal in place that shuts down Trabzonspor’s late push for his signature.

Saudi stay over Turkish reunion

Trabzonspor had moved hard in recent days, chasing a move that would have reunited Núñez with former Liverpool teammate Mohamed Salah. The prospect of the pair pulling on the same shirt again had lit up parts of the Turkish fanbase, who had already started to dream.

Those hopes have been abruptly checked.

Fabrizio Romano reported on X that Al-Hilal and Al-Diriyah have reached a verbal agreement for Núñez to move to the Saudi side. The framework is clear: a loan until June 2027, with his salary fully covered during that period.

There is no option or obligation to buy in the current agreement. This is a straight loan, nothing more.

Details still to be signed off

The key parties are aligned on the move, but the paperwork has not yet caught up. Contracts still need to be signed, and plans are being put in place for Núñez to undergo a medical before the transfer becomes official.

Until that is completed, Trabzonspor can only watch from a distance. Their bid to bring Núñez to the Turkish league, and to place him alongside Salah once again, has been effectively ended by his decision to continue in Saudi Arabia and pull on an Al-Diriyah shirt instead.

For the Turkish club and their supporters, the reunion they imagined will now exist only in memory.