Trabzonspor are preparing to confirm the signing of Mohamed Salah after the Egypt captain received a hero’s welcome from hundreds of supporters in Istanbul.
Fans gathered outside Ataturk Airport on Wednesday to greet the 34-year-old forward, who appeared in Trabzonspor colours and interacted with the crowd. The Turkish club had encouraged supporters to track his flight after teasing his arrival on social media.
Salah will hold a signing ceremony at Papara Park on Thursday at 17:30 BST. Trabzonspor have asked fans to wear the club’s new season shirts and “witness history”.
The move follows the end of Salah’s nine-year spell at Liverpool, where he scored 257 goals. The Egyptian left the club at the end of last season as a free agent, meaning Trabzonspor can direct more of their budget towards his wages, although the details of his salary have not been disclosed.
Salah previously became Liverpool’s highest-paid player when he signed a reported £400,000-a-week contract in April 2025. He helped the club win two Premier League titles, the Champions League, the Club World Cup, the UEFA Super Cup, the FA Cup and two EFL Cups.
He also won the Premier League Golden Boot four times and was named Professional Footballers’ Association player of the year in 2018, 2022 and 2025.
Despite scoring 29 goals and providing 18 assists during Liverpool’s 2024-25 title-winning campaign, his playing time was reduced the following season after a falling-out with former Reds head coach Arne Slot. Salah had announced his intention to leave Liverpool a year before the expiry of his two-year contract extension, prompting continued speculation about his next club.
Salah, who has scored 50 Champions League goals, will play European football with Trabzonspor next season. The club finished third in the Super Lig, eight points behind champions Galatasaray, and will enter the Europa League play-offs. If they do not reach the competition’s league phase, they will drop into the Conference League.
The transfer comes after reported talks with another Turkish club, Besiktas. Salah had been linked with a move there following Egypt’s successful World Cup campaign, in which they reached the last 16 for the first time before narrowly losing to Argentina. That proposed deal reportedly collapsed over financial terms before Salah reached an agreement with Trabzonspor.
Trabzonspor began building anticipation on Tuesday night, posting a video showing the Pyramids beside Papara Park. A subsequent message said “negotiations had begun” and allowed supporters to follow the flight carrying Salah into Istanbul.
“Trabzon, are you ready? See you very soon,” Salah said in a video recorded aboard a private jet and shared on social media.
The club, known as the Black Sea Storm, have won seven league titles, including six between 1976 and 1984. Their most recent championship came in 2022, ending a 38-year wait. Based in the north-eastern city of Trabzon, they are one of only six clubs to have won the Turkish Super Lig.
Salah’s arrival is expected to become the biggest signing in the club’s history. He joins former Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge and former Arsenal winger Nicolas Pepe among the notable names to have worn Trabzonspor’s claret and sky blue.
Trabzonspor’s squad currently includes Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana on loan, along with Cape Verde World Cup players Wagner Pina and Sidny Lopes Cabral. The Turkish Super Lig has also recently attracted global stars including Roberto Carlos, Didier Drogba, Robin van Persie, Samuel Eto’o, Mesut Ozil and Wesley Sneijder.
This season, Fenerbahce have N’Golo Kante and Ederson, while Galatasaray feature Victor Osimhen, Ilkay Gundogan and Leroy Sane.
The scale of Salah’s signing marks a major shift for Trabzonspor, who have traditionally concentrated on developing young players and finding talent with resale value. With Fenerbahce and Galatasaray increasingly dominating the title race, enthusiasm among Trabzonspor supporters had appeared to decline and Papara Park was often below capacity.
The club hopes Salah can reverse that trend by bringing fans back to the stadium and increasing shirt sales. His profile could also expand Trabzonspor’s commercial reach throughout the Middle East, while creating particular interest among the Arab community in Trabzon and visitors to the city.
For a club seeking renewed energy, the arrival of one of football’s biggest global stars represents a bold new direction.
