Trabzonspor's Late Move Disrupts Besiktas’ Salah Plans
For weeks, Besiktas believed they were about to pull off the Turkish transfer of the summer. Mohamed Salah, the Liverpool icon, was supposed to walk through the door in black and white, a marquee signing to reshape the Super Lig landscape.
Then Trabzonspor arrived.
In the space of a Saturday morning, the story flipped. What had looked like a clear path to Istanbul turned sharply towards the Black Sea, as reports from France and Turkey revealed a late, aggressive move from Trabzonspor that has thrown Besiktas’ plans into disarray.
Liverpool chapter closes, Turkey steps forward
Liverpool and Salah had already shaken hands on a mutual parting this summer, even with a year still to run on his huge Anfield contract. At roughly £400,000 a week, Salah sat among the Premier League’s elite earners, a status he justified for years with outrageous numbers in front of goal.
He was the luxury Liverpool could afford: minimal defensive graft, maximum attacking devastation.
Last season, that balance broke. The goals and assists slowed, the physical output dipped, and the scrutiny sharpened. Without the end product, the lack of defensive work no longer felt like a trade-off. Liverpool chose a new direction; Salah chose a new chapter.
Interest came from Saudi Arabia. MLS hovered too. But Besiktas did more than talk. They put money and structure on the table and, for a while, led the race.
Besiktas stunned as Trabzonspor make their move
That was the backdrop when the hijack began.
On Saturday, Turkish journalist Yağız Sabuncuoğlu, widely regarded as a reliable voice on domestic deals, revealed that Trabzonspor had stepped in and gone straight to the heart of the operation: Salah’s camp.
“Trabzonspor met with Mohamed Salah’s representative and submitted its official offer,” he wrote on X.
The numbers were striking. A €17 million salary, over two years. In current terms, that’s around £280,000 a week – less than his Liverpool peak, but still a colossal figure in Turkey and a clear statement of intent from Trabzon.
Sabuncuoğlu then added a second key detail: Salah has been fully briefed.
According to his update, the player’s representative has already relayed the offer to Salah, who is described as “positively inclined” towards the Trabzonspor proposal. The forward will now consult with his family before making the final call on where he plays next.
The pressure, at this point, sits squarely on Besiktas.
Inside the hijack: two offers, one decision
French reporter Santi Aouna backed up the Turkish line, outlining just how close Trabzonspor are to turning this from a late bid into a completed coup.
He reported that Trabzonspor are closing in on a full agreement with Salah after entering advanced talks with his agent. The domino effect was immediate: Besiktas, who had already shaken hands on a verbal agreement with Salah’s camp, have now suspended their negotiations.
Their offer was structured differently. Besiktas had lined up a 1+1-year deal worth €10 million net per season, plus €2 million in bonuses. Competitive, ambitious, and for a while, enough to put them at the front of the queue.
Trabzonspor have gone heavier, simpler, and shorter: a straight two-year deal at €17 million per season. No long explanations required. Just a cleaner, more lucrative package.
The contrast is stark. Besiktas had the head start, the verbal green light, and the public momentum. Trabzonspor have arrived late with a bigger cheque and a clearer path.
A legend at a crossroads
For Salah, this is more than just a payday.
He leaves Liverpool as one of the greatest players in the club’s modern history, a forward whose peak years defined an era under Jürgen Klopp. Yet his next move will shape the perception of his twilight: is this a final competitive challenge in Europe, or a lucrative wind-down before the inevitable pull of Saudi Arabia or MLS?
Turkey offers noise, pressure, and adoration. At Trabzonspor, he would be the undisputed star of a passionate, demanding club desperate to punch above its financial weight. At Besiktas, he would have been the centrepiece of a rebuild in Istanbul, under the brightest lights the league can offer.
Instead of one Turkish giant unveiling him, two now wait on the same answer.
Besiktas thought they had their man. Trabzonspor believe they are about to steal him. Salah, for the moment, sits between them, weighing family, finances, and legacy.
When he finally chooses, it will not just reshape one club’s season. It may well redraw the balance of power in Turkish football.
