Trabzonspor are closing in on confirming the signing of Mohamed Salah after the Egypt captain received a huge welcome on his arrival in Turkey.
Hundreds of supporters gathered outside Ataturk Airport in Istanbul on Wednesday as Salah emerged wearing Trabzonspor colours and greeted the excited crowd.
The 34-year-old left Liverpool at the end of last season after nine years on Merseyside, having scored 257 goals for the club.
Salah arrives as a free agent, meaning Trabzonspor will have been able to commit a greater portion of their budget towards his wages.
The forward, who has scored 50 Champions League goals, will play European football next season after Trabzonspor finished third in the Super Lig, eight points behind champions Galatasaray.
Should they fail to progress through the Europa League play-offs, they will drop into the Conference League for the group stage.
Salah became Liverpool’s highest-paid player in the club’s history when he signed a reported £400,000-a-week contract in April 2025.
He helped Liverpool win two Premier League titles, the Champions League, the Club World Cup, the Uefa Super Cup, the FA Cup, and two EFL Cups during his time at Anfield.
Salah won the Premier League Golden Boot on four occasions and was named PFA Player of the Year three times, in 2018, 2022, and 2025.
Despite scoring 29 goals and making 18 assists in Liverpool’s 2024-25 title-winning campaign, his minutes diminished the following season following a falling out with head coach Arne Slot.
Trabzonspor had been building anticipation for the signing since Tuesday night, posting a video of the Pyramids alongside footage of Papara Park on their social media channels.
A follow-up post confirmed that “negotiations had begun” before the club shared details of how Salah’s Wednesday flight into Istanbul could be tracked.
Salah himself posted a video from aboard a private jet, delivering a message directly to supporters ahead of his arrival.
“Trabzon, are you ready? See you very soon,” he said in the video shared across social media platforms.
The reception he received at the airport was enormous, with supporters turning out in huge numbers to greet one of the sport’s biggest global stars.
Salah had previously been reported to be close to joining fellow Turkish side Besiktas, but a deal reportedly broke down due to financial reasons before Trabzonspor struck an agreement.
His signing is described as the biggest in the club’s history, with Salah joining former Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge and former Arsenal winger Nicolas Pepe in wearing the claret and sky blue shirt.
Nicknamed the Black Sea Storm, Trabzonspor have won seven league titles, six of which came between 1976 and 1984, with their most recent title arriving in 2022, ending a 38-year wait.
The club are one of only six sides ever to have won the Turkish Super Lig, and are based in the north-eastern city of Trabzon.
Their current squad includes on-loan Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana, as well as Cape Verde World Cup stars Wagner Pina and Sidny Lopes Cabral.
Trabzonspor’s signing of Salah represents a bold shift in transfer strategy for a club that has previously focused on developing young talent with resale value.
With Papara Park reportedly often below capacity in recent seasons, Salah’s arrival is expected to bring supporters back and broaden the club’s commercial appeal, particularly across the Middle East.
