Salah Stuns the World: Chooses Trabzon Over Istanbul
The former Liverpool star has signed a two-year deal worth €34 million net with Trabzonspor, and his arrival has already sparked complete euphoria in the city on the Black Sea coast.
The former Liverpool star has signed a two-year deal worth €34 million net with Trabzonspor, and his arrival has already sparked complete euphoria in the city on the Black Sea coast.
When Trabzonspor president Ertugrul Dogan sent a message to his coach Fatih Tekke during the World Cup asking, "Coach, do you want Mohamed Salah?", few could believe that the idea would turn into one of the biggest transfers in Turkish football history. Yet on Wednesday, the 34-year-old Egyptian landed in Trabzon, and the wild welcome scene at the airport and the contract signing at a packed Papara Park confirmed what many had deemed impossible.
While speculation had swirled for weeks about whether Salah would join one of Istanbul's giants, he shocked the football world and chose a city often dubbed "Turkey's Newcastle." Trabzonspor, though part of Turkish football's traditional big four, had long been in the shadow of the financially mightier Galatasaray, Fenerbahce, and Besiktas. Salah's arrival now completely shifts that dynamic.
According to official data published on Turkey's public disclosure platform (KAP), Salah has signed a two-year contract until June 2028. His base annual salary is €10 million (£8.5 million), with a guaranteed annual signing bonus of €7 million. In total, he will earn €17 million per season, or €34 million net over two years.
Since salaries in Turkey are paid net, with the club covering all tax obligations, Salah effectively earns 50 percent more than under his last Liverpool contract. The deal also includes performance-based bonuses, a 5 percent agent commission on gross salary, and an exceptional image rights agreement granting him a 20 percent share of royalties from sales of his personal merchandise through the official TS Club retail network.
The commercial impact of Salah's arrival was immediate. Within 24 hours of his landing, Trabzonspor sold over 17,000 season tickets, generating £11 million in revenue. President Dogan confirmed that total projected revenue from tickets, sponsorships, and merchandise during the Salah era is expected to reach around £22 million, effectively self-financing the transfer.
Crucially, Trabzonspor has not overstretched financially. The transfer is balanced by approximately €95 million in player sales revenue since last season. Alongside Salah, the squad has been bolstered by defender Cenk Özkaçar from Valencia and goalkeeper André Onana on loan from Manchester United, with negotiations ongoing for Darwin Núñez.
When Fatih Tekke took over the team in March 2025, Trabzonspor sat in a disappointing 13th place. By the end of the season, he had guided them to third place, just eight points behind champions Galatasaray, and clinched the Turkish Cup. The club last won the league title in the 2021-22 season, and now with one of the world's biggest football names in their ranks, ambitions are clearly set on the summit.
"For the first time in my life, I've seen a welcome like this. I came here to win trophies. I'm here to bring titles to this club," Salah told the ecstatic crowd during the signing ceremony. The challenge is immense, given that Galatasaray has won four consecutive league titles, and Besiktas and Fenerbahce have spent astronomical sums on summer signings like Leandro Trossard, Victor Osimhen, Nathan Aké, and Mason Greenwood.
Trabzonspor accompanied Salah's arrival with a brilliant video that quickly went viral. In it, an elderly lady prepares a lavish spread and says she dreamed that her son Mohamed Salah would come to the club. When he finally knocks on her door, her joy knows no bounds. She offers him a taste of all the specialties and finally tells him, "You've had honey and kaymak, now you can go to training."
This transfer transcends football. The city of Trabzon, which often feels politically and geographically neglected, is now at the center of global attention. Additionally, the cultural aspect of moving to a Muslim country where Salah and his family will feel at home played a significant role in his decision. Former Trabzonspor winger and Salah's national teammate Mahmoud Hassan (Trézéguet) acted as the club's secret operative, speaking daily with the Egyptian captain to convince him of the rightness of this move.
