Mohamed Salah completes shock move to Trabzonspor amid scenes at Papara Park
Mohamed Salah completed a transfer to Trabzonspor on 9 August 2026, a move that produced chaotic scenes at Trabzon airport and a packed signing ceremony at Papara Park.
The decision to join Trabzonspor surprised many after weeks in which Besiktas looked most likely to sign the former Liverpool striker and amid interest from the Saudi Pro League and Major League Soccer. In Turkey, the big-name transfers have typically gone to Istanbul’s Big Three — Galatasaray, Fenerbahce and Besiktas — making Salah’s choice of the Black Sea club unexpected. Trabzonspor are part of the country’s traditional Big Four but the port city’s appeal rests less on cosmopolitan lifestyle than on intense local devotion to the club. The arrival of an internationally recognised player has placed added attention on Trabzon’s wider ambitions for economic and civic renewal.
The recruitment was initiated during the World Cup when club president Ertugrul Dogan, watching Egypt, messaged manager Fatih Tekke: "Coach," it read. "Do you want Mohamed Salah?" Tekke responded with immediate enthusiasm, and the club operated discreetly while Besiktas remained the public favourite. Former Trabzon winger Mahmoud Hassan, known as Trézéguet, acted as an intermediary, speaking with Salah daily to persuade him to consider the move, and the club emphasised cultural fit in a Muslim-majority country as part of the appeal.
Trabzonspor disclosed the contract on the Public Disclosure Platform (KAP), confirming a two-year deal running through to June 2028 with a base annual salary of €10m (£8.5m) and a guaranteed €7m annual signing bonus, netting Salah €17m per season (€34m net over two years). The club said wages in Turkey are paid net with the club covering all tax liabilities, a structure that results in Salah effectively taking home 50% more than his final Liverpool contract. The agreement also includes performance add-ons, a 5% agent’s fee on gross wages and an image-rights clause granting Salah a 20% royalty on personal merchandise sold via the club’s TS Club retail network.
Commercial returns were immediate: Trabzonspor sold more than 17,000 season tickets within 24 hours of Salah’s arrival, generating £11m. President Dogan confirmed projected revenue from tickets, sponsorships and merchandise during the Salah era is expected to approach £22m and said those returns effectively self-fund the transfer. The club also balanced the expenditure with roughly €95m raised in player sales since last season, which the club presented as keeping the deal financially manageable.
On the field, Salah joins a side under Fatih Tekke that recovered after he took charge in March 2025 when the team were 13th; they finished the following campaign in third, eight points behind champions Galatasaray, and won the Turkish Cup. Tekke has added Valencia defender Cenk Özkaçar and the Manchester United loanee André Onana, and the club said they are in talks with Darwin Núñez; Salah will wear the No 10 shirt. The Turkish top flight’s summer activity has featured high-profile arrivals across Istanbul as well, with Leandro Trossard at Besiktas, Victor Osimhen at Galatasaray and Nathan Aké and Mason Greenwood at Fenerbahce, while the article cites Arda Güler at Real Madrid and Ferdi Kadıoglu at Brighton as examples of the league’s developing homegrown talent.
Salah addressed the crowd during his signing ceremony: "I am seeing a reception like this for the first time in my life," and added, "I came here to win trophies. I am here to bring titles to this club." With Salah under contract through June 2028, Trabzonspor will attempt to leverage his arrival as they seek European competition, needing only to navigate the playoff rounds for a place in the Europa League main stage.