Mohamed Salah receives warm Istanbul reception as Trabzonspor move nears
Mohamed Salah was greeted by a large crowd at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul on Wednesday after arriving in Turkey as he moved closer to a transfer to Trabzonspor following his departure from Liverpool.
Salah’s arrival ends a nine-year spell at Liverpool, where he scored 257 goals across 442 appearances and helped the club win two league titles and the Champions League. He began his European career with Basel in 2012 before moving to Chelsea, had limited spells with Fiorentina and Roma, and joined Liverpool in 2017.
Wearing Trabzonspor’s burgundy and blue, Salah acknowledged supporters at the airport, waved to the crowd and joined in a traditional chant before leaving for a medical. "What a welcome for Mo Salah! The Egyptian has arrived in Istanbul ahead of signing for Trabzonspor. pic.twitter.com/uTe7t1wec0— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) August 5, 2026" was posted on social media, and the club tweeted: "Bordo-Mavili formasyla ilk kez kameralarn karsnda lk mesaj Byk Trabzonspor Taraftarna:“Bize Her Yer Trabzon!” #SalahIsComing pic.twitter.com/Sr1KcRDwpk— Trabzonspor (@Trabzonspor) August 5, 2026."
Trabzonspor confirmed on Tuesday that discussions with Salah were underway, and club president Ertugrul Dogan said the Turkish side were hopeful of securing the 34-year-old on a free transfer. The club has yet to reveal the details of the proposed contract.
Salah’s 2024-25 season produced 29 Premier League goals and 18 assists, with 47 goal involvements matching the competition's all-time record for a single season and setting a new benchmark across a 38-game campaign. That campaign earned him the Premier League Player of the Season award, along with the Golden Boot and Playmaker prizes; he became the first player to collect all three honours in the same Premier League season.
The following season was more difficult for Salah: he managed seven goals and seven assists in 27 league appearances and was used as a substitute in Champions League matches, with his frustration culminating in a public disagreement with then-Liverpool manager Arne Slot.
Trabzonspor, regarded in the article as one of Turkey’s biggest clubs outside Istanbul’s trio of Fenerbahce, Galatasaray and Besiktas, finished third in the Super Lig last season to secure a place in the Europa League playoff round; the Black Sea club last won the Turkish league title in 2021-22. Salah had also been linked with a move to Besiktas, but those talks reportedly broke down because of disagreements over financial terms and image-rights requirements, according to Turkish media reports.
Salah left the airport for a medical and is then expected to travel to Trabzon, where his move could be formally completed on Thursday.
