Mohamed Salah, the former Liverpool forward and captain of the Egypt national team, is expected to complete his move to Turkish club Trabzonspor. The 34-year-old arrived in Istanbul on Wednesday, where he was greeted by hundreds of enthusiastic fans at Ataturk Airport.
Salah, wearing Trabzonspor colours, engaged with the crowd before proceeding for a medical check. He is then scheduled to travel to Trabzon for the signing ceremony, which is anticipated to take place on Thursday.
Salah’s Departure from Liverpool and Arrival in Turkey
Salah’s departure from Liverpool came at the end of last season, concluding a nine-year tenure on Merseyside. During his time with the club, he scored 257 goals in 442 appearances, helping Liverpool secure two Premier League titles, the Champions League, the Club World Cup, the Uefa Super Cup, the FA Cup, and two EFL Cups.
In the 2024-25 season, Salah recorded 29 Premier League goals and 18 assists, matching the league record for goal involvements in a single season and setting a new record for a 38-game campaign. He was also named Premier League Player of the Season, won the Golden Boot, and the Playmaker Award, becoming the first player to achieve all three in one season.
However, his playing time decreased in the subsequent campaign, with seven goals and seven assists in 27 league matches. This reduction in minutes, which included being left on the bench for Champions League games, reportedly led to a disagreement with former Liverpool head coach Arne Slot.
Before his arrival in Turkey, Salah had been linked with another Turkish club, Besiktas. However, reports suggest that negotiations with Besiktas stalled due to financial and image-rights demands, leading him to reach an agreement with Trabzonspor instead.
Impact of the Transfer for Trabzonspor
Trabzonspor announced on Tuesday that negotiations were underway with Salah. The club chairman, Ertugrul Dogan, expressed expectations of signing the forward on a free transfer. As a free agent, Trabzonspor will have more flexibility to allocate budget towards Salah’s wages.
The Turkish club teased Salah’s arrival on social media, posting a video featuring the Pyramids next to Papara Park, followed by an update confirming that negotiations had commenced. Salah himself shared a video from a private jet, stating, “Trabzon, are you ready? See you very soon.”
This transfer is considered a significant move for Trabzonspor. The club, nicknamed the Black Sea Storm, has won seven league titles, with their most recent success in 2022 ending a 38-year wait. They are one of only six teams to have won the Turkish Super Lig.
Trabzonspor finished third in the Super Lig last season, eight points behind champions Galatasaray, which secures them a spot in European football next season. They will participate in the Europa League play-offs, and if unsuccessful, they will enter the Conference League.
Salah’s signing is anticipated to be one of the biggest in Turkish football history. His arrival is expected to boost supporter engagement, significantly increase shirt sales, and broaden the club’s commercial appeal, particularly in the Middle East and among the Arab community in Trabzon.
The current Trabzonspor squad includes on-loan Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana, as well as Cape Verde’s World Cup stars Wagner Pina and Sidny Lopes Cabral. Salah will join former Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge and former Arsenal winger Nicolas Pepe at the club.
Salah began his European career with Swiss side Basel in 2012, later joining Chelsea, and had stints at Fiorentina and Roma between 2015 and 2017 before moving to Liverpool.
Source: bbc.co.uk