Darwin Nunez transfer 'agreement' reached to bring end to Saudi nightmare
· Matt Addison · 2026-08-13T12:15:06+00:00 · nguồn gốc
Darwin Nunez transfer 'agreement' reached to bring end to Saudi nightmare
Former Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez looks to be closing in on his next transfer move, with his time in the Saudi Pro League likely to come to an end this month
Darwin Nunez has reportedly reached an agreement with Trabzonspor — the club that Mohamed Salah signed for last week — to move to Turkiye from Saudi Arabia.
While a deal is still to be reached between the clubs, according to Yagiz Sabuncuoglu, Al Hilal is not expected to stand in Nunez's way after he fell down the pecking order in the Middle East.
Salah and Nunez worked well alongside one another at Liverpool at times, but the latter was sold last year for a fee of around $62 million (£46 million), three years after signing from Benfica in a big-money deal.
When Salah was confirmed as a new Trabzonspor player, the Egyptian was given a rapturous welcome. He became the highest-paid player in Turkiye.
Ertugrul Dogan, the Trabzonspor president, claimed a few days ago that the move for Salah was so popular that his side only needs to sell another 7,000 season tickets to fully cover the cost of the signing.
Salah is claimed to have helped sell 18,000 season tickets in the space of three days. Hit 25,000, Dogan has claimed, and Trabzonspor will have earned its money back.
Finishing third in the Super Lig standings last term, Trabzonspor will need to win a play-off to reach the Europa League this season. It is hoping to compete for the league title, which was most recently won by Galatasaray.
But the former Liverpool striker Dean Saunders was staggered by Salah's decision to move to Trabzonspor. He played in the Super Lig but believes the 34-year-old should have aimed higher.
"I'm stunned," Saunders said on talkSPORT. "What has Mo Salah done? This is no disrespect, because I went to Galatasaray. Turkey, my son was born there.
"I had a great time in Turkey and they are all enthusiastic, nice people. Trabzonspor are a big club in Turkey, but why on earth has Mo Salah left Liverpool to go there?
Liverpool FC have launched their new home kit for the 2026/27, inspired by iconic adidas strip worn during the club's 1989/90 title-winning campaign.
"Without sounding like I'm criticizing Trabzon, I am finding it hard to believe. Why didn't he stay at Liverpool? I honestly thought he would be going to Saudi Arabia."
Salah could have stayed at Liverpool for another year because the contract he signed in 2025 was in place until 2027. However, it was mutually agreed that this was the right time for him to move on.
There was interest from the Saudi club Al Ittihad, who could have offered a higher wage package, but Salah chose instead to remain in Europe. The Saudi Pro League could still remain an option in the future.
Liverpool.com says: Nunez ending up in Turkiye feels like a better fit than Salah. The latter going to the Super Lig was a decision he felt was right for him, but he could have been playing at a higher level.