Salah lands in Istanbul with Trabzonspor on verge of landmark deal

Mohamed Salah's next move is nearly done. Trabzonspor are on the verge of confirming the signing of the Egypt captain after he arrived in Turkey and was greeted by an adoring crowd at the airport. Hundreds of fans gathered outside Ataturk Airport in Istanbul on Wednesday, where Salah appeared in Trabzonspor colors and spent time with the waiting supporters. The 34-year-old is a free agent after leaving Liverpool at the end of last season, ending a nine-year spell on Merseyside in which he scored 257 goals. Because no transfer fee is involved, Trabzonspor can put more of their budget toward Salah's wages, though the exact figures are still unclear. The forward has scored 50 Champions League goals and will play European football with the Black Sea Storm next season after the club finished third in the Turkish Super Lig, eight points behind champions Galatasaray. Trabzonspor will go into the Europa League play-offs; if they do not reach the league phase, they will drop into the Conference League. Salah's Liverpool career brought two Premier League titles, the Champions League, the Club World Cup, the UEFA Super Cup, the FA Cup and two EFL Cups. He won the Premier League Golden Boot four times and was named PFA Player of the Year three times, in 2018, 2022 and 2025. In the 2024-25 title-winning campaign he produced 29 goals and 18 assists, but his minutes shrank the following season after a falling out with then-coach Arne Slot. The transfer saga had been building for months. Salah announced he would leave Liverpool one year before his two-year contract extension was due to end. After a World Cup campaign in which Egypt reached the round of 16 for the first time before a narrow loss to Argentina, Besiktas were reported to be close to signing him. That deal reportedly broke down over finances, allowing Trabzonspor to reach an agreement instead. On Tuesday night, Trabzonspor teased the move with a video showing the Pyramids next to Papara Park. A follow-up post said negotiations had begun and included a way to track Salah's Wednesday flight to Istanbul. Salah then posted his own message from a private jet: "Trabzon, are you ready? See you very soon." He was treated like a movie star when he landed. Trabzonspor are one of only six clubs to have won the Turkish Super Lig. They have seven league titles, six of them between 1976 and 1984, and ended a 38-year wait with their most recent crown in 2022. Salah will be the biggest signing in the club's history, following former Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge and former Arsenal winger Nicolas Pepe into the claret and broadcaster blue shirt. The squad already includes on-loan Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana, plus Cape Verde's World Cup players Wagner Pina and Sidny Lopes Cabral.