Turkish reports have revealed the plan Saudi club Al-Hilal are looking to carry out as serious negotiations unfold between them and Trabzonspor's management over a deal for Uruguayan striker Darwin Nunez.
Nunez joined Al-Hilal from Liverpool for 53 million euros. His market value has since plummeted after head coach Simone Inzaghi frozen him out, a situation that worsened when the "Blue" club signed Karim Benzema last January.
Turkish website 61saat said: "Al-Hilal's plan regarding Darwin Nunez, who is a target for Trabzonspor, has been revealed. The Saudi club is seeking a way to raise Nunez's value, which has dropped sharply in Saudi Arabia."
Nunez's value tells the story. The report noted it "fell from around 35 million euros to nearly 20 million, a loss amounting to 15 million euros within a single year, making him the biggest faller in market value in the Saudi league, ahead of Mateo Retegui, who lost 10 million euros, and Theo Hernandez, whose value dropped by 8 million euros".
The website continued: "In an effort to make up for this significant drop in the player's value, Al-Hilal is working to loan him out to a club abroad as a solution to ease some of the burden of the player's high salary and to remarket Nunez once again in the European market."
It went on: "At this point, Trabzonspor stepped in and made an offer for the player. If Darwin Nunez signs for Trabzonspor, he will have the opportunity to play in the Turkish Super League and in the European cups, and his value will rise again with his performance. This situation will allow Al-Hilal, which is planning either to sell the player permanently or to keep him in its squad in the future, to recover some of the financial losses it has incurred. The club's management is expected to conclude this deal, which has sparked the fans' enthusiasm, in a short time."
Egyptian star Mohamed Salah, who joined Trabzonspor a week ago, gave a positive verdict on Nunez, according to earlier Turkish reports. He welcomed a reunion with his former Liverpool team-mate.
Trabzonspor made Al-Hilal an offer worth 8 million euros a year for Nunez, who earns around 20 million euros from the Saudi club per season, according to Hasan Tuncil, a journalist who specialises in Trabzonspor news.