The Turkish club is in talks with Al Hilal over Uruguayan striker Darwin Nunez, but has simultaneously received an offer for Karim Benzema, which would create one of the most expensive attacking duos in the club's history.
Trabzonspor received a direct offer for Karim Benzema, the French striker currently playing for Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal, on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, according to Goal.com. At the same time, the Turkish club is in negotiations with Al Hilal over the transfer of Uruguayan striker Darwin Nunez, but as no agreement has been reached yet, the possibility of a sensational move for Benzema has emerged.
According to reports from Turkish journalist Yagiz Sabuncuoglu, negotiations for Nunez have not led to a breakthrough, so Benzema was directly offered to the Turkish side. Trabzonspor immediately began talks with the former Real Madrid player, while discussions with Al Hilal continue in parallel.
Benzema has spent five seasons in the Saudi Pro League, during which he has scored 48 goals in 75 appearances. He played for Al-Ittihad for the first three seasons, then moved to Al Hilal as a free agent on the last day of the winter transfer window of the 2025/26 season, signing a contract until 2027.
His experience at the highest European and Saudi levels makes him an attractive veteran on the regional market. Trabzonspor is currently assessing the feasibility of the offer, and the decision will depend on meetings between the club's management and the player's representatives in the coming days.
Trabzonspor has already made one of the biggest transfers in its history this summer by bringing in Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian striker, aged 34, signed a two-year contract on August 6, 2026, after leaving Liverpool as a free agent, where he spent nine seasons. Salah arrived after an early mutual termination of his contract with Liverpool, and previous talks with several clubs, including Beşiktaş, had failed.
According to data published on the Turkish public disclosure platform, Salah will earn €17 million ($19.8 million) per season. This amount includes a base salary of €10 million and an annual signing bonus of €7 million. The contract also provides for performance bonuses and gives Salah 20 percent of revenue from merchandise sales bearing his name, while his agents receive a 5 percent commission on the gross amount.
Salah's arrival has caused a real euphoria in Trabzon and beyond. Trabzonspor gained approximately one million new followers on social media after the transfer announcement. The club's Instagram followers grew from about 1.6 million to around 2.6 million, and videos related to his arrival, signing, and presentation have garnered more than 150 million views on Instagram.
The signing ceremony in Akyazı became a digital hit, with one post reaching nearly 3 million interactions. Demand for jerseys, especially those with the number 10, has surged. A single municipal purchase included more than 6,600 jerseys.
Season ticket sales reached a club record of 18,000, with more than 17,000 sold within the first 24 hours of Salah's arrival. Revenue projections from tickets, sponsorships, and merchandise sales in the Salah era amount to around £22 million, helping Trabzonspor partially cover the financial burden of his contract.
Trabzonspor finished third in the Süper Lig last season and won the Turkish Cup, securing a spot in the Europa League playoffs. In Cappadocia, a large banner reading "Hoş geldin Mohamed Salah" was set up under a balloon, turning the welcome into a tourist attraction.
Salah's popularity in Egypt has spilled over to Trabzonspor. Egyptian fans are ordering jerseys and applying for club membership. Turkish Airlines has added flights between Cairo and Trabzon due to the expected increase in traffic between Egypt and the Black Sea city.
Social media tracking shows that posts combining the names "Trabzonspor" and "Salah" outside Turkey have generated around 74,700 mentions or interactions, compared to approximately 59,600 within the country.
Salah made his debut in the first league match against Kasımpaşa (1-1), coming on in the 58th minute. Trabzonspor took the lead with a goal from Noah Saviola, and Kasımpaşa equalized from a penalty just before Salah's introduction.
His first official home appearance is expected on Thursday, when Trabzonspor hosts Hungarian side Ferencváros at Papara Park in the first leg of the Europa League playoffs. The match kicks off at 8:00 PM local time, and a full house of 41,000 is expected. This will also be the first European match for coach Fatih Tekke.
In addition to Salah, Trabzonspor has strengthened the squad by bringing in Cape Verde international Sidny Lopes Cabral, and on July 3, 2026, goalkeeper Andre Onana rejoined the club on loan for the 2026/27 season.
The club continues communication with Benzema's representatives while finalizing parallel talks with Al Hilal. Trabzonspor must resolve structural and administrative details of the negotiations before the transfer window closes, and further developments will depend on the outcome of meetings between the club's management and the player's camp in the coming days.
