Mo Salah Set to Join Trabzonspor After Liverpool Exit

Trabzonspor confirmed on Tuesday that it had opened transfer talks with the Egyptian forward, Mohamed Salah, and by Wednesday morning the deal had all but crossed the line. Fabrizio Romano’s call is as close to gospel as football transfers get; the agreement is done. Salah will fly into Istanbul Ataturk Airport at noon local time before heading on to Trabzon later that evening, where the Black Sea club is preparing a hero’s welcome.

The contract runs for two years. Since Salah left Liverpool as a free agent, there’s no transfer fee involved — just a player and a club shaking hands on personal terms.

A quiet exit from Anfield

Salah’s Liverpool departure was confirmed back in March, closing out nine seasons that turned him into one of the club’s greatest-ever players. The numbers speak for themselves: 257 goals in 442 appearances, a Premier League title, a Champions League trophy, and a legacy that will follow him wherever he plays next.

But the ending wasn’t entirely smooth. Salah was benched for three straight games late last year, and he didn’t hide his frustration about it — publicly saying his relationship with manager Arne Slot had broken down. It was a rare crack in the image of a player who spent nearly a decade as Anfield’s most reliable performer.

Why Trabzonspor

Trabzonspor finished third in the Süper Lig last season, good enough to qualify for the Europa League play-off round, and has been chasing a marquee signing to match that ambition. Salah wasn’t short of options — MLS and Saudi Arabia were both reportedly in the mix, and Turkish rivals Beşiktaş had also made a play for him. Talks with Beşiktaş reportedly stalled over jersey revenue splits, with Salah’s camp pushing for 50% against the club’s offer of 25%. Trabzonspor’s willingness to go further on salary and terms appears to have tipped the balance.

At 34, Salah is coming off his quietest season in Liverpool colors — 12 goals and 10 assists across all competitions, his lowest return since arriving from Roma in 2017. But he’s fresh off representing Egypt at the World Cup, where he helped the team reach the round of 16 before losing to Argentina. There’s still plenty left in the tank, and Turkish football is about to find that out firsthand.

The medical is expected Wednesday, with an official unveiling to follow. For Trabzonspor fans, one of the Premier League’s most iconic players in the last decade is about to wear their colors.