Mohamed Salah has signed for Trabzonspor, ending one of the summer's biggest transfer sagas. The Egypt international joined the Turkish club after confirming his Liverpool departure months ago.
Why Salah chose Trabzonspor
Salah ended his time in English football after a difficult final season at Anfield, where he often didn't see eye to eye with Liverpool manager Arne Slot. A change of manager didn't prompt a U-turn, with new Reds boss Andoni Iraola continuing without the two-time title winner.
The 34-year-old forward was mobbed by fans as he arrived in Turkey to sign with his new employers. The signing is no doubt a popular one but some eyebrows were raised when Salah opted for a club not in the Champions League.
Salah's motivation
When it emerged that Salah would be leaving Liverpool, there was some speculation about him simply moving to the highest bidder. However, according to Trabzonspor president Ertugrul Dogan, that couldn't be further from the case.
"You cannot persuade and bring a player like Salah with money," Dogan said, as reported in the Turkish media. "One of the contract offers he presented to us was four times the amount we offered. His intention was not financial; he wanted to experience the excitement and passionate love here."
Trezeguet's role
Dogan also pointed to the role played by Trezeguet, Salah's international team-mate. The former Aston Villa playmaker made 70 appearances for the Super Lig side, scoring 23 goals, before moving to Al Ahly in 2025.
Trabzonspor's president said the 31-year-old gave Salah a "positive reference" which convinced him to join. Salah's new team-mates include others with Premier League experience as well, such as goalkeeper Andre Onana - on loan from Manchester United for a second season - and former Southampton striker Paul Onuachu.
Squad number help
Salah has made a squad number change of sorts, abandoning the 11 he wore at Liverpool and moving to the No.10 which he also wears for his country. However, this was only made possible by new team-mate Ernest Muci agreeing to sacrifice the number he wore last season.
"I thank Muci regarding the jersey," Dogan said. "Him voluntarily coming and handing over the jersey number to Salah was a very valuable stance. This gesture moved us."
Wrapping up the deal
According to Trabzonspor's president, the deal took between four and five days to get over the line. He also shed some light on the finances behind the deal, indicating recent sales made things easier - goalkeeper Ogurcan Cakir left in a club record £23.5m sale last summer while Ivorian international Christ Inao Oulai joined Fiorentina for not much less.
"When Istanbul teams make big transfers, it's not talked about, but when we do it, it becomes a topic of discussion," Dogan said. "We have made player sales exceeding 100 million Euros in the last year. It is quite natural for a club with this financial power to add any player it wants to its squad."
Salah could make his competitive debut for Trabzonspor on August 15 when they begin their Super Lig campaign away to Kasimpasa. Five days later the Turkish side have a huge match in the form of a Europa League play-off first leg against either Ferencvaros or Gornik Zabrze.
