Al-Hilal have reached an agreement to allow Darwin Núñez to move on loan to Turkish side Trabzonspor this summer, setting up a renewed strike partnership with former Liverpool teammate Mohamed Salah—while also delivering the Uruguayan forward a significant pay rise. The deal, reported by Saudi outlet Al-Yaum and attributed to Turkish media Sözcü, would see Núñez return to Turkey for the 2026–27 season, with the central financial terms tilted in his favour. (In previous reporting around the wider transfer picture, Trabzonspor have been described as keen to reunite the Uruguay forward with Salah in the Turkish top flight, with the proposal gaining traction as the summer window develops.)
According to the report cited in the Goal.com story, the loan is expected to take place in the current summer window and would run for one season. Crucially, Núñez would not take a pay cut from the wages he has been earning at Al-Hilal. The Uruguayan striker is set to retain a salary of €22 million, a figure that is framed as both a personal upgrade and a notable distinction from what Salah is reportedly earning in Turkey.
The same account suggests the comparison point is Mohamed Salah’s current wage package. Salah, who joined Trabzonspor during this summer window on a two-season deal, is described as earning €17 million—meaning Núñez’s confirmed figure of €22 million would be €5 million higher. The reported wage gap is expected to underline that Trabzonspor’s recruitment plan is not only about footballing reunion, but also about assembling an attacking unit with a marquee-level economic footprint.
While Núñez’s salary would be maintained at the €22 million level, the spending responsibility is split between the clubs in a way that lessens the immediate burden on Trabzonspor. The Turkish club would be responsible for €8 million of the wage, while Al-Hilal would cover the remaining €14 million. That structure provides Trabzonspor with flexibility to secure a player of Núñez’s profile without absorbing the full salary cost, and it reflects Al-Hilal’s stated desire to move the forward on.
Al-Hilal’s motivation is also tied to Núñez’s recent form and availability. The Goal.com report describes a difficult period during the first half of last season, followed by a sharper decline as he fell out of the domestic squad list in the second half of the campaign. With registration and squad planning concerns previously cited in the wider discourse around Núñez’s time in Saudi Arabia, a loan spell now appears positioned as a practical solution for player minutes and squad management.
Trabzonspor, for their part, view the prospect of working with Núñez as a direct reinforcement of their forward options. The underlying idea is a reunification with Salah—already an established headline signing in Turkey since his departure from his historic Liverpool era. Salah’s transfer to Trabzonspor ended a nine-year run at Liverpool that began in 2017, and his new chapter has brought with it an opportunity to pair him with another familiar attacking presence.
BBC Sport coverage of football gossip has likewise pointed to the same strategic theme: the club are working to reunite Uruguay and Al-Hilal forward Darwin Núñez, 27, with Egypt and former Liverpool teammate Mohamed Salah, 34, at Trabzonspor. That reporting underscores that the “Salah–Núñez” reunion has been an active talking point in the Turkish market, with the move being tracked across multiple outlets and in the context of squad building plans for the season ahead. (See BBC Sport.)
There is also background suggesting that Núñez’s departure from Al-Hilal is not merely about tactical preferences, but about the realities of playing time and squad regulation. Separate reporting cited by Goal.com has framed Núñez’s earlier stint in Saudi Arabia as strained by foreign player registration limits, contributing to a situation where the forward looked set for a reset in Turkey. In that narrative, the agreement in principle for a loan is treated as a route back to regular football, with the added advantage of joining Salah. (See Goal.com.)
The latest development, however, adds a financial dimension that may become central to negotiations: not only is Núñez expected to go on loan, he is expected to keep the full salary he earned at Al-Hilal. The arrangement—Trabzonspor paying €8 million and Al-Hilal covering €14 million—suggests Al-Hilal are effectively subsidising the move to ensure the striker can find a rhythm again, while preserving his contractual earnings.
Even with the agreement described, the transfer still sits within the moving ecosystem of summer rumours and shifting interest. ESPN has also pointed to the idea that Trabzonspor are keen to reunite Salah with his ex-Liverpool teammate, and noted wider possibilities, including the possibility of other clubs monitoring Núñez’s situation. In that context, Tottenham were mentioned as an alternative with interest in a move for Núñez estimated around €20 million, although it was framed within a rumour landscape rather than as a finalised competing bid. (See ESPN.)
For Trabzonspor, the prospect of pairing Salah with Núñez could have both immediate and longer-term implications. It may offer a faster route to attacking cohesion—drawing on the chemistry and understanding Salah and Núñez built years earlier—while also giving the Turkish side a more dynamic forward profile. For Núñez, it represents the chance to reverse the decline in his Saudi spell and to re-enter a high-visibility league with a marquee partner in Salah.
With Salah already in place on a two-season contract and Núñez now apparently set for a one-season loan return, the agreement suggests Trabzonspor are moving quickly to shape a new-look front line. The reported wage structure, the clarity around one-season duration, and the club’s expressed desire to reallocate the squad collectively point to a deal that is more than speculation—one that, if finalised, could send the long-time Premier League duo’s dynamic into a new setting in Turkey.
As the summer window progresses, the key question will be whether Núñez’s move translates into the kind of consistent performances that he lacked during the latter part of his previous campaign in Saudi Arabia. But the headline is already clear: Al-Hilal have agreed to loan him to Trabzonspor, Salah is already there, and—according to the reported terms—Núñez will earn more than his former teammate as the pair look to re-establish an attacking rhythm together.
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