Salah Arrives in Turkey After Weeks of Speculation

Mohamed Salah has completed his surprise transfer to Trabzonspor, signing a two-year deal with the Turkish club after leaving Liverpool at the end of last season. The 34-year-old Egyptian forward, the Premier League's leading foreign goalscorer, was confirmed by the club on Tuesday evening following weeks of uncertainty about his future.

Trabzonspor teased the announcement with a 17-second AI-generated clip of a pyramid overlooking their Papara Park stadium, accompanied by a crown emoji. The club even announced what time Salah would be arriving at Istanbul's Ataturk airport — a level of detail that reflects Turkey's football culture, where there's a saying that "titles are won at the airport" through glamorous foreign signings.

Why Trabzonspor? The Financial Reality

Salah turned down interest from multiple clubs, including Sporting Kansas City in MLS — whose owner Peter Mallouk was prepared to match his Liverpool wages, which would have made him the second-highest paid player in MLS history behind Lionel Messi. However, Sporting KC never made a formal offer after learning Salah was willing to take less money to remain on the European stage.

Saudi Arabia was also assumed to be a likely destination. Salah admitted in 2025 that if he hadn't signed a new contract at Liverpool, he would have gone there. "I still have a good relationship with them and I always stay in contact with them," he told Egyptian TV station ON Sports. "Yes, we were talking to each other." But this time, he wasn't interested in what the Saudi Pro League had to offer.

Turkey emerged as the only European country with clubs willing to meet his financial demands. Salah will reportedly be paid a salary of €17 million (£14.5m; $19.6m), with a €5 million bonus and a significant cut of his shirt sales. The deal is being financed through sponsorships, primarily through Turkish Airlines and Togg, a Turkish manufacturer of electric cars — both with connections to the Turkish government.

The Big Three Said No

Many expected Salah to sign for one of Istanbul's 'big three' clubs, but neither Galatasaray nor Fenerbahce were interested despite being offered the chance. Besiktas were in protracted negotiations and at various points looked close to securing Salah's signature, but ultimately couldn't — or didn't want to — meet the financial demands of Salah and his agent, Ramy Abbas.

Besiktas technical director Onder Ozen told the media that instead of "making a populist decision", Besiktas president Serdal Adali "made a realistic one and left the table, at least for now".

Enter Trabzonspor. They are the most successful Turkish club outside the big three, having won the Super Lig seven times, although all but one of those titles (2022) came in the 1970s and '80s. They finished third in Turkey last season and will enter the Europa League at the play-off phase.

A Historic Signing for Turkish Football

Salah is not just the biggest signing in Trabzonspor's history — he might also be the biggest in Turkish football history. Others who have made the move include Roberto Carlos, Wesley Sneijder, Didier Drogba, Robin van Persie and, particularly Gheorghe Hagi, who arrived at Galatasaray aged 31 in 1996 closer to his peak than many of the others, and went on to win four Super Lig titles.

But this is a player only one season removed from scoring 29 goals in a Premier League title-winning season. The Super Lig has historically struck a decent balance for players no longer good enough for the big five European leagues — the standard is lower, but the money is still good, the big clubs are still regulars in UEFA competitions and atmospheres at games are intense.

What's Next for Salah and Trabzonspor?

Salah will wear No. 10 when he makes his debut, though his shirt featured No. 61 on the back during his arrival — a nod to Trabzon's postal code, a number of huge significance to the city's people. He will be playing alongside Paul Onuachu, who scored freely in Turkey over the past two seasons, while Andre Onana has signed on for another loan from Manchester United. The squad also includes two members of the Cape Verde side from the World Cup: Wagner Pina and Sidny Lopes Cabral.

The addition of Salah reflects a broader desperation in Turkey to break the dominance of Galatasaray, who have won the last four Super Lig titles under Okan Buruk. Their rivals have also strengthened: Besiktas have signed Leandro Trossard and are pursuing Dusan Vlahovic, while Fenerbahce signed Mason Greenwood and Nathan Ake. Galatasaray spent $75 million on Victor Osimhen last summer.

Will Salah use this as a springboard back to a more elite club? Would 25 goals in the Super Lig convince a more prestigious side to give him another chance? It feels like a long shot. One of the summer's more protracted transfer sagas is over — and not in the way most expected.