Mohamed Salah lands in Istanbul as move to Trabzonspor nears completion
Mohamed Salah arrived in Istanbul on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, as he moved closer to joining Turkish club Trabzonspor after flying in on a private jet. He was greeted by hundreds of chanting fans and was seen wearing a blue and burgundy Trabzonspor shirt upon arrival.
Salah, the Egypt international and longtime Liverpool forward, was filmed aboard the private jet pulling on his new jersey before arriving in the Turkish city. Turkish TV showed still images of him wearing a shirt with No. 61 as crowds waited, and a Reuters photo caption showed him accompanied by Trabzonspor President Ertugrul Dogan as he arrived in the Black Sea city of Trabzon.
In a video posted on the club's official X channel Salah said: “Trabzon are you ready? I can hear you. See you very soon.” The club also announced on the Istanbul stock market, saying: “We've started transfer talks with Mohamed Salah, he's coming to Istanbul!” and the disclosure coincided with a 6.5% rise in Trabzonspor shares.
NTV broadcast images of Salah signing a Trabzon shirt and reported that his official signing ceremony would be held on Thursday, August 6, in the Black Sea city. The reporting said he had flown in to complete the deal and the arrival took place amid earlier speculation that the 34-year-old might move to Saudi Arabia before Trabzonspor emerged as the frontrunner this week.
Salah leaves Liverpool as a free agent after ending last season with the club, where he scored 257 goals in 442 appearances and won two league titles and the Champions League among eight major honours. The article noted a downturn in form and a public falling out with then-coach Arne Slot in his final season at Anfield, when he scored 12 goals in all competitions compared with 34 in the previous campaign.
Trabzonspor, a seven-time Turkish champion that finished third last season, confirmed its engagement in transfer talks and arranged the ceremony to finalise Salah's signing. He had announced in March that he would leave Liverpool at the end of the season despite having a year remaining on the contract he signed in 2025.
The next confirmed step is Salah's official signing ceremony on Thursday, August 6, in the Black Sea city, where the club and its supporters are set to formalise the transfer.
