Besiktas officially stall Mohamed Salah transfer talks, says sporting director

Mohamed Salah's move to Besiktas has been put on ice, with the Turkish club's sporting director confirming that negotiations have hit a dead end - at least for now. Onder Ozen revealed that three rounds of discussions with the former Liverpool star failed to produce an agreement, and the financial demands eventually became too much for the Super Lig side to stomach. Speaking to the media, Ozen said the club had decided to close the file "temporarily" and place it "on the shelf." "Mohamed Salah is a global star, no doubt," Ozen said. "Vincenzo Italiano and I held three meetings with him. Things went smoothly until we started talking numbers. From July 21, the demands slowed everything down. There were even image-rights requests that Besiktas has never granted to any player before. The club has principles. Instead of a populist decision, the president made a pragmatic one and walked away from the table." Salah, 33, has been a free agent since leaving Anfield a year before his contract was due to expire. He still wants to play in Europe, but Besiktas's offer - which does not include Champions League football - may not be lucrative enough. The Egypt international has long been linked with a switch to the Saudi Pro League, while MLS clubs are also ready to make him a proposal. Both options could prove more financially rewarding than what the Turkish club can offer. For now, though, the Besiktas door remains slightly ajar. Ozen left the possibility of reopening talks open, but for the moment Salah will have to look elsewhere.