Mohamed Salah surprised the football world by joining Trabzonspor, and the Turkish club's president revealed that the Egyptian had an offer four times larger than theirs. However, money was not the deciding factor.
When he landed in Trabzon last week, Mohamed Salah experienced something he couldn't have imagined even after three Champions League finals, winning the trophy in 2019, and winning the English Premier League title with Liverpool. Tens of thousands of fans greeted him at the airport with flares and songs, and the 34-year-old Egyptian was left speechless.
"It's simply indescribable. I'm very happy to be here. I have no words for it. I don't think I've ever seen anything like this at an airport," said a visibly moved Salah upon arriving in the city on the Black Sea.
The transfer that shocked the football public has a backstory that reveals much more than mere numbers. Trabzonspor president Ertuğrul Doğan revealed that Salah had offers from Saudi Arabia and the MLS, including interest from Sporting Kansas City, which were several times higher than what the Turkish club could offer.
"One of the other offers he showed us was four times larger than ours. His reasons were not financial. He wanted to experience this enthusiasm and this passionate love here," Doğan told Turkish media.
According to Goal.com, Salah will earn 17 million euros net per season at Trabzonspor, while Telegram.hr reports a net salary of 10 million euros plus 7 million euros in annual bonuses and a 20 percent share of revenue from official merchandise sales with his name.
Eight months ago, Salah uttered a sentence at Elland Road that sealed his fate at Anfield. He said that someone at the club had thrown him under the bus, clearly alluding to then-manager Arne Slot, who had left him on the bench. Slot left the club at the end of the season, and Andoni Iraola took over, but Salah's chapter at Liverpool was already over.
Former Liverpool player Jamie Carragher admitted that his career choice surprised him. "Turkey seems a level too low to me. I was convinced he would end up at AC Milan or Juventus or a similar club," Carragher said on the Football Ramble podcast.
Real Madrid had long circled Salah, but with Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, and José Mourinho, with whom the Egyptian never clicked, that move didn't make sense. Barcelona is building its future around Lamine Yamal, Bayern has Michael Olise, and PSG has Désiré Doué. Liverpool wouldn't let him go to another English club, and none of Europe's elite wanted to combine his age, status, and price.
Trabzonspor exploited that gap. The club had previously sold Ugurcan Cakir to Galatasaray for 27.5 million euros, Christos Inao Oulai to Fiorentina for up to 30 million euros, and Felipe Augusto to Zenit for 15 million euros, creating a financial cushion to bring in the biggest star in club history.
A key role in the transfer was played by Mahmoud Hassan Trézéguet, Salah's national teammate who made 70 appearances for Trabzonspor from 2022 to 2024 and enthusiastically told him about the fans' passion. Besiktas was close to a deal in mid-July, but details of the negotiations leaked to the public, which put Salah off. On the other hand, he was impressed by the discretion with which Doğan and his associates conducted the business.
"You can't convince a player like Salah with money," Doğan emphasized. Salah further won over fans by posing with the number 61 jersey, the area code for Trabzon. Ernest Muci gave up the number 10 for him, and Doğan called that gesture "a true statement that moved us."
Trabzonspor finished last season in third place, eight points behind champions Galatasaray, and won the cup. Under coach Fatih Tekke, who took over in March 2025 when the team was in 11th place, the club has shown consistent progress. Salah joins a well-drilled squad with goalkeeper Andrea Onana, midfielder Ozan Tufan, striker Paul Onuachu, and playmaker Ernest Muci.
Although Trabzonspor cannot offer the Champions League, Salah deliberately chose an environment where he will be the central figure and where the fans' passion will remind him of Anfield. The season opens on Saturday with an away match against Kasimpasa in Istanbul.
