Darwin Nunez Gets Close To Returning To Europe And Then Moves Towards Another Saudi Club Instead

Darwin Núñez’s proposed return to European football appears to be falling apart, with the Al-Hilal striker now moving towards a loan to another Saudi Arabian club instead.

Trabzonspor had spent much of the previous week negotiating for the former Liverpool forward, with reports in Turkey and Belgium claiming agreements had been reached over a season-long loan and that Núñez was open to the move.

Completing it proved rather more complicated.

Negotiations became caught up in significant financial issues involving Núñez’s salary, money reportedly still owed to him by Al-Hilal and the conditions attached to any eventual permanent transfer. Turkish reports claimed the Saudi club still owed Núñez around €12million, while Trabzonspor were unwilling to meet all of his substantial wages or accept the proposed terms of a future purchase.

Trabzonspor president Ertuğrul Doğan had already cautioned that no final agreement had been reached, despite increasingly confident reports surrounding the transfer.

By Wednesday, the destination had changed.

Núñez is now closing in on a loan move to newly promoted Saudi Pro League side Al-Diriyah, with reports suggesting an agreement with Al-Hilal is being finalised and that the deal would run until June 2027 without an obligation to buy.

It represents a fairly substantial change to a transfer which had initially been framed as Núñez’s route back into European football.

The Uruguay international joined Al-Hilal from Liverpool last summer and Trabzonspor’s interest had offered the possibility of returning to Europe after one season in Saudi Arabia.

Instead, several days of negotiations over how to make that return financially possible appear to have produced a different solution.

Núñez can leave Al-Hilal.

He may just have to remain in Saudi Arabia to do it.