Darwin Núñez's Transfer Drama: Hijacked Move to Trabzonspor

Darwin Núñez’s next move has taken a sharp swerve.

The Al Hilal forward looked destined for Trabzonspor, where a reunion with former Liverpool teammate Mohamed Salah awaited him in the Turkish Black Sea heat. A loan deal was lined up, travel plans were in place, and the narrative wrote itself.

Then the script was ripped up.

Deal hijacked at the last minute

On the final day of Al Hilal’s training camp in Austria, Sacha Tovalieri reported that Núñez was left out of the squad. The omission was significant: he was expected to fly to Turkiye the following day to complete his loan switch to Trabzonspor.

Instead, another Saudi Pro League club made its move.

Al Diriyah stepped in, opened talks with Al Hilal, and tabled their own proposal for a loan deal. The intervention has effectively hijacked Trabzonspor’s plans, with Núñez now poised to stay within Saudi Arabia rather than head to the Süper Lig.

If completed, it will mark another sharp turn in a career already packed with big moves and big expectations. Núñez left Liverpool last year in a deal worth around $62 million (£46 million), three years after his high-profile arrival from Benfica.

Salah’s star power in Turkiye

Trabzonspor, meanwhile, had already done their part to set the stage.

When Mohamed Salah was unveiled as their new signing, the reception was thunderous. The Egyptian arrived as the highest-paid player in Turkiye, a marquee attraction for a club intent on shaking up the domestic order.

Salah made his debut last weekend, coming off the bench in a 1-1 draw with Kasimpasa. Around him, there is no shortage of familiar names: former Southampton striker Paul Onuachu and ex-Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana are among his new teammates.

A link-up with Núñez would have added another Liverpool thread to that dressing room. For now, that reunion looks off the table.

Liverpool’s No 9 puzzle

Back at Anfield, Núñez’s departure last year forced Liverpool into a major reshuffle up front. The club moved aggressively, bringing in Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike, but the new-look attack has yet to fully click.

Isak, signed for around $169 million (£125 million), carries the weight of that fee into a pivotal season. Ekitike’s situation complicates things further, with the forward expected to miss several more months. That leaves Isak as the only fully fit central striker.

European football analyst Julian Laurens underlined the issue this week.

"I still think that until Ekitike comes back from injury — it’s a long one, we’re not sure exactly when it will be — they probably need a back-up to Isak, especially if Cody Gakpo goes," he said.

"You’re only left really with Isak as your nine. Ok, you could look at [Federico] Chiesa, you could look at maybe other options like a [Dominik] Szoboszlai as a false nine, or Curtis Jones as a false nine.

"But I still think they would need a backup striker there until Ekitike comes back. It could be a loan, it could be like the [Ronald] Araujo deal they did for the defense.

"Then also that midfield needs a bit of a rebuild, especially for the way Iraola wants to play, very different to Arne Slot. I’m not sure right now this midfield is exactly what he would want."

While Liverpool juggle their attacking options and reshape a midfield to suit Andoni Iraola’s high-intensity style, Núñez’s future is being decided elsewhere — not in front of a feverish Trabzon crowd, but likely in another corner of the Saudi Pro League.

The reunion with Salah will have to wait.