Darwin Núñez Closing in on Loan to Trabzonspor

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 shock loan to Trabzonspor – and a reunion with Mohamed Salah.

The Uruguayan’s departure from Anfield was meant to be a reset, not a detour. Liverpool banked more than £250m in sales during that overhaul, cash that underpinned a record £455m recruitment drive and delivered the likes of Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike, Giovanni Leoni, Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong. Núñez, once billed as the long‑term spearhead of Liverpool’s attack, instead exited with an emotional farewell and the promise of a fresh start.

That restart never truly materialised in Saudi Arabia. Al‑Hilal’s hierarchy later judged him expendable after the arrival of Karim Benzema, pushing Núñez down the pecking order and towards the exit again. Now, the escape route runs through Turkey.

Salah, who ended a glittering nine‑year stay at Anfield this summer, signed a two‑year deal with Trabzonspor last week. The prospect of the pair lining up together again, this time in the Black Sea city rather than under the lights of Anfield, suddenly looks very real.

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

That suits all parties. A season in Turkey would hand Núñez a clean slate, the minutes he has lacked, and a stage loud enough to restore his reputation. If he catches fire alongside Salah, his value climbs and Al‑Hilal can either cash in or bring back a forward reborn and back on the radar of Europe’s elite.

It is not the first time his future has been in play this summer. Talks with MLS side Atlanta surfaced last month but fizzled out before reaching an advanced stage. Turkey, not the United States, now looks like the next chapter.

Núñez leaves behind a complicated legacy at Liverpool. On paper, his numbers were respectable: 143 appearances, 40 goals, 26 assists. He stretched defences, ran channels, created chaos. Yet criticism followed him relentlessly, from missed chances to questions over his composure.

To those who knew him best, that noise never quite made sense. Atletico Madrid defender Alex Grimaldo, who shared a dressing room with Núñez at Benfica, has previously voiced his disbelief at the scrutiny.

"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 Núñez stands on the brink of a very different kind of pressure. Trabzonspor’s fanbase is fierce, the expectation raw, the atmosphere unforgiving. Add Salah into that mix and the spotlight only intensifies.

For a striker still searching for a permanent home at the top level, Turkey might be his last big audition – or the moment everything finally clicks.