Al-Hilal settle the Nunez crisis with a temporary solution: a Turkish giant enters the picture

Besiktas are closing in on the loan signing of Al-Hilal's Uruguayan striker Darwin Nunez this summer, according to press sources.

Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri reports that the Turkish club have struck an initial agreement with Al-Hilal over a loan deal for the 27-year-old.

Writing on X, Tavolieri explained that the Saudi side agreed to the loan after failing to attract the financial offer they wanted for a permanent sale.

The move is part of Besiktas's plan to strengthen their frontline with elite talent alongside South Korea's Hyun-gyu Oh. Their transfer committee should open formal talks with the player's agent in the coming hours to thrash out personal terms.

Nunez joined Al-Hilal in the summer of 2025 from Liverpool for 53 million euros. He never hit the heights expected of him in Saudi Arabia.

The Uruguayan wants to return to European football, according to reports, especially given his strained relationship with Al-Hilal boss Simone Inzaghi. That tension was plain to see at the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, where he started just one of three matches after losing his place to France's Karim Benzema.

Nunez earns 22 million euros a year at Al-Hilal, before bonuses. Under the proposed plan, Besiktas want to cover 80% of his salary during the loan, roughly 17.5 million euros.

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