Written with the help of artificial-intelligence tools and checked by automated controls.
Egyptian striker Mohamed Salah landed in Turkey this Wednesday, August 5, to finalize his move to Trabzonspor, as noted by a journalist from Ouest-France present at the airport. Free since the expiration of his contract with Liverpool, the former Reds star is set to sign the most resounding transfer in the history of the Turkish league. The Black Sea club confirmed in a statement that "negotiations have been initiated." The official announcement could come in the coming hours, after the traditional medical examination.
A free departure, a strong choice
At 34, Mohamed Salah comes off eight seasons at Liverpool where he scored 229 goals, won the Champions League in 2019, and claimed three Premier League Golden Boots.
At 34, Mohamed Salah comes off eight seasons at Liverpool where he scored 229 goals, won the Champions League in 2019, and claimed three Premier League Golden Boots. Several destinations were available to him: an extension at Anfield, the colossal salaries of the Saudi league, or one last challenge in Europe. He chose Turkey.
This choice surprises, and quite a bit. Trabzonspor, champions in 2022 but third last season twelve points behind Galatasaray, does not operate in the same financial category as the Gulf clubs. But the sporting project, led by coach Abdullah Avcı, relies on fast-transition football where Salah's speed on the counter-attack can wreak havoc. The club also banks on the Egyptian's aura to shake up the Istanbul duopoly.
Salah's arrival is part of a particularly turbulent Turkish transfer window. Galatasaray has strengthened its midfield, Fenerbahçe has changed coaches, and Beşiktaş has bet on youth. Trabzonspor, for its part, plays the experience and international prestige card. The Black Sea club had not attracted a signing of this caliber since Shota Arveladze's brief stint as a player in the 1990s.
The impact of an icon on the Süper Lig
No player of Salah's caliber has set foot in Turkey in decades. Neither Didier Drogba at Galatasaray, nor Wesley Sneijder, nor Mario Gomez at Beşiktaş boasted such a CV at the time of their arrival. The Egyptian arrives with his 229 goals in his English career, his status as a Reds legend, and a popularity that extends far beyond the pitch.
His signing guarantees Trabzonspor unprecedented media exposure in the Arab world and Africa. The shirt bearing the number 11 could generate merchandising revenue the club has never known, and attract broadcasters previously uninterested in the Süper Lig. On the field, his partnership with Turkish attacking midfielders will offer the league fixtures that will no longer be limited to the Istanbul derby alone.
The fervor around this arrival already extends beyond football. Turkish and Egyptian social media have been ablaze since the plane landed in Trabzon. Hundreds of supporters gathered around the airport, waving burgundy and blue flags, to catch a glimpse of their new recruit. An enthusiasm reminiscent of Drogba's arrival in Istanbul, but in a city four times less populated.
What the club concretely expects
Trabzonspor identified a gap last season: only four goals scored in its six meetings against the podium teams. Salah, capable of turning a match with a long-range strike or a run behind the defense, addresses this deficit of efficiency in big games. Abdullah Avcı finally has the elite finisher his system was missing.
The 2026-2027 Süper Lig season kicks off in a few days. Salah, in condition after a full season in the Premier League, will not need a warm-up. It remains to be seen how he will handle the pressure of a Şenol Güneş stadium known for its fiery atmosphere, and how Turkey's rugged defenses will welcome him. At Liverpool, the entire team was designed to serve him. In Trabzon, it is he who must elevate the others. A different equation, but a challenge seemingly made for the pride of a player of his caliber.
The first test will come quickly: Trabzonspor opens its season at home against Konyaspor. If Salah is fielded, cameras from around the world will be focused on this 41,000-seat stadium. The Süper Lig has not seen such media frenzy in a long time, and the club's executives, like those of the Turkish federation, know that this signing could shift the international perception of an entire league.