Fenerbahçe eye Darwin Núñez as Benzema’s Al-Hilal arrival opens door for Europe return | OneFootball

Fenerbahce have made an enquiry into the availability of Al-Hilal striker Darwin Nunez.

Nunez only joined the Saudi Pro League side in the summer, arriving fromLiverpool for an initial fee in the region of £45m.

The Uruguayan international has scored seven goals in 22 appearances for Al-Hilal during a campaign that has been punctuated by injuries.

Al-Hilal have completed the signing of Karim Benzema from Saudi rivals Al-Ittihad, a transfer that could pave the path for an exit for Nunez.

The 26-year-old is understood to be open to a return to Europe after just six months in the Middle East, as he looks for regular minutes ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Multiple reports have claimed Fenerbahce have now made an enquiry. The Turkish transfer window does not close until February 6th, allowing the Istanbul outfit time to secure a deal.

Fenerbahce are in the market for a centre-forward having allowed Morocco international Youssef En-Nesyri to join Al-Ittihad earlier this week.

The club have also signed France midfielder N'Golo Kante from the Saudi side and could now raid the division for another addition before the Turkish transfer deadline. An initial loan move has been discussed between the two clubs.

Fenerbahce are currently second in the Turkish Süper Lig, three points behind Galatasaray, and have progressed into the Europa League knockout rounds. They will face Nottingham Forest over two legs in the play-off round.

Prior to his move to Al-Hilal, Nunez was part of theLiverpool team that won the Premier League title last season.

He scored 40 goals in 143 games for the Reds in all competitions but was sold last summer asLiverpool pursued deals for Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak. Nunez had joined Liverpool for an initial £64m fee from Benfica in 2022 but struggled to convince consistently at Anfield.