Darwin Núñez's Loan Move to Trabzonspor Hijacked by Al Diriyah

Darwin Núñez’s Turkish reunion with Mohamed Salah has been thrown off course at the last moment, with Saudi side Al Diriyah swooping in to hijack his proposed move to Trabzonspor.

For days, the script looked straightforward. Núñez, left out of Al Hilal’s squad on the final day of their training camp in Austria, was expected to board a flight to Turkiye and seal a loan deal with Trabzonspor. The plan was clear: a fresh start in the Super Lig and a reunion with Salah, the former Liverpool teammate now treated like royalty on the Black Sea coast.

Then the twist arrived.

Al Diriyah, another Saudi Pro League club, opened talks with Al Hilal and tabled their own proposal for a loan. That intervention has dramatically changed the landscape, with Núñez now widely expected to head to Al Diriyah instead of Trabzonspor.

It caps a turbulent spell for the Uruguayan. He left Liverpool last year in a move worth around $62 million (£46 million), three years after arriving from Benfica in a big-money transfer that was supposed to make him Anfield’s next great No. 9. The promise flashed in moments, but Liverpool ultimately chose a different path.

Salah, meanwhile, has become the face of Trabzonspor’s ambition. His arrival triggered a rapturous welcome, befitting the highest-paid player in Turkiye. He stepped onto the pitch for the first time last weekend, coming off the bench in a 1-1 draw with Kasimpasa. Around him, there is a growing cast of familiar Premier League names: former Southampton striker Paul Onuachu and ex-Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana among them.

Núñez linking up with that group would have given Trabzonspor an attack with real star power. Instead, the club now looks likely to watch him stay within the Saudi Pro League, just wearing a different shade of blue.

Back at Liverpool, the ripple effects of Núñez’s departure are still being felt.

The club moved decisively last summer, bringing in Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike as the next evolution of their forward line. On paper, it was a bold statement. On the pitch, both still have gears to find at Anfield.

Isak, signed for around $169 million (£125 million), carries the weight of that fee into what already feels like a defining season. Ekitike’s situation is even more delicate, with the forward expected to miss several more months. That leaves Isak as Liverpool’s only fully fit central striker.

Expert Opinion

European football expert Julian Laurens summed up the dilemma 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.”

So Núñez moves again, Liverpool continue to reshape, and Trabzonspor are left to rethink their attacking puzzle. One misdirected flight, one hijacked deal, and the forward market shifts once more.