Besiktas eye Darwin Nunez loan as club push for formidable attack with Mohamed Salah – reports

Besiktas are in advanced talks to sign Al Hilal striker Darwin Nunez on loan as the Turkish club attempt to follow up their move for Mohamed Salah by assembling one of the most high-profile forward lines in the Super Lig, according to reports.

The Istanbul side have already reached an agreement in principle with former Liverpool forward Salah on a one-year deal worth up to €12m, with an option for a further season, earlier reports in Turkey and Europe have claimed.

Now, journalist Sacha Tavolieri is reporting that Besiktas are also close to securing Uruguay international Nunez from Saudi Pro League champions Al Hilal on a season-long loan.

Talks ‘progress significantly’

Negotiations between Besiktas, Al Hilal and Nunez have moved forward significantly in recent hours, Tavolieri says, with a final agreement described as closer than at any previous stage in the discussions.

Nunez is understood to be keen on returning to European football after a short spell in Saudi Arabia, which has encouraged Besiktas to accelerate their push for a deal.

The 25-year-old joined Al Hilal in the most recent transfer window, but his time with the Riyadh club – widely known by their nickname “Al-Zaeem” (The Boss) – has not unfolded as hoped, opening the door to an early exit.

European interest in Nunez

The report adds that several clubs in Europe have been monitoring Nunez’s situation and have shown interest in signing the striker, but Besiktas are currently viewed as being at the front of the queue.

Al Hilal would allow a temporary move rather than a permanent sale under the terms being discussed, with the proposed agreement taking Nunez to Vodafone Park until the end of the coming season.

Potential Salah–Nunez partnership

Should Besiktas complete both high-profile deals, the Turkish club would unite Salah and Nunez in attack, forming a front line built around two of the most recognisable forwards in world football.

That combination would be regarded as one of the standout transfer coups of the current window in the Turkish Super Lig, dramatically reshaping Besiktas’ attacking options as they look to compete domestically and in European competition.

The Istanbul club, who endured an inconsistent campaign last season, are seeking to rebuild under a revamped sporting strategy and see the acquisition of marquee names as central to lifting both their on-field performance and international profile.

Background to Salah approach

Reports earlier this summer stated that Salah, a free agent after leaving Liverpool, had agreed personal terms on a lucrative one-year contract with Besiktas worth around €12m, including bonuses, with an option to extend for a further season.

Securing Nunez on top of that deal would underline Besiktas’ ambition in the current transfer window, with the club moving aggressively in the market rather than limiting themselves to a single headline signing.

No official confirmation has yet been made by Besiktas, Al Hilal or either player, but the pace of negotiations, combined with Nunez’s desire to return to Europe, has fuelled expectations in Turkey that both transfers could be completed in the near future.