JAKARTA - Earlier this week, Mohamed Salah almost completed his move to Trabzonspor after leaving Liverpool.
The Egyptian arrived in Istanbul on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, local time, before traveling to Trabzon.
According to several reports, the 34-year-old attacker has agreed to a two-year contract to continue his career in Turkey.
"We have started transfer talks with Mohamed Salah, he will come to Istanbul!"
"Time and other details regarding the welcoming program in Trabzon will be shared with the public through our club's official communication channels throughout the day," read a statement from Trabzonspor.
Salah has been a free transfer player since leaving Liverpool this summer. The striker scored 257 goals in 442 appearances during his nine seasons at Anfield, winning the English Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, League Cup (twice), Club World Cup, and UEFA Super Cup.
Salah has also been linked with a move to MLS (Major League Soccer) and Saudi Arabia (Saudi Pro League), and Turkey's rivals Trabzonspor, Besiktas, last week said it had made an offer.
Salah's departure from Liverpool was announced in March 2026 despite having signed a two-year contract extension in April 2025 after becoming a star player in the team's journey to the 20th English League title.
Salah's form dipped last season. He was rested for three consecutive matches late last year.
Salah then gave a shocking interview to reporters, accusing the club of abandoning him amid a string of disappointing team results.
He also stated that he had no relationship with the then manager, Arne Slot, and questioned whether he would remain at the club until the January 2026 transfer window or not.
As a result, he was left out of the squad for the Champions League match against Inter Milan.
Although Salah was reintegrated into the squad after last winter's Africa Cup of Nations, he struggled to regain the form that made him the Premier League's top scorer four times.
He only scored 12 goals in all competitions, after scoring 34 goals the previous season.
It was this unpleasant situation that made him have to make a difficult decision. Salah finally chose to leave Anfield and continue his career at Trabzonspor.
Mohamed Salah was greeted by Trabzonspor fans in Istanbul. He wore a blue and maroon striped jersey that was the team's character after flying on a private jet to complete the deal.
Previously, he was filmed inside the jet while wearing his new jersey.
"Trabzon, are you ready? I can hear you. See you soon," Salah said in a video message uploaded on the club's official X channel.
Trabzonspor later announced that day that Salah had undergone a medical examination, with the signing ceremony to be held on Thursday, August 6, 2026, at 19.30 local time.
Turkish television showed images of Salah wearing the number 61 shirt as he arrived in Istanbul, where hundreds of cheering fans waited to greet him.
NTV also broadcast the signing of the Trabzon shirt by the Egyptian player and said the official signing ceremony would be held on Thursday.
The official announcement of the negotiations on the Istanbul stock exchange caused Trabzonspor's shares to rise 6.5 percent.
As is known, Salah has proven himself as a great player in the English League with Liverpool. He is considered one of the greatest players of all time with the club's various achievements.
The former Chelsea, Roma, and Fiorentina star played five matches at this summer's 2026 World Cup, helping Egypt reach the last 16 before being eliminated by Argentina.
Meanwhile, Trabzonspor is a seven-time Turkish champion and finished third in the Super Lig last season.
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