Why Salah chose Trabzonspor—and why the club wanted him
On Thursday, Mohamed Salah signed for Trabzonspor after leaving Liverpool as a free agent.
Salah signed a two-year contract with Trabzonspor after ending a Liverpool career that produced 257 goals in 442 appearances and eight major honors.[5] Sources said the 34-year-old will earn about €17 million per season, while remaining in Europe, benefiting from Türkiye’s tax environment and livin…
Salah signed a two-year contract with Trabzonspor after ending a Liverpool career that produced 257 goals in 442 appearances and eight major honors.[5] Sources said the 34-year-old will earn about €17 million per season, while remaining in Europe, benefiting from Türkiye’s tax environment and living a two-hour flight from Egypt.[3]
Why it matters: The deal pairs Salah’s desire to preserve earnings and stay near home with Trabzonspor’s attempt to raise its global profile and attract high-profile sponsors.[3] It also takes one of the Premier League’s defining players to a club that finished third in the Süper Lig last season and must qualify for the Europa League.[3][5]
Key insights: Beşiktaş had been the leading Turkish contender but withdrew after negotiations encountered a financial obstacle, allowing Trabzonspor to move in.[3] | Türkiye’s Istanbul-based “Big Three”—Beşiktaş, Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe—reportedly command 90% of the country’s football support, making Salah’s choice of Trabzonspor commercially distinctive.[3] | Trabzonspor immediately used Salah’s arrival as a marketing event, publishing private-jet images and presenting him to supporters at Papara Park.[3][5]
Cheatsheet facts: What changed: Salah joined Trabzonspor on a two-year contract after leaving Liverpool as a free agent.[5] | Why now: Trabzonspor offered roughly €17 million annually after Beşiktaş’s negotiations broke down, while letting Salah remain in Europe and close to Egypt.[3] | Watch next: Watch Salah’s competitive debut and Trabzonspor’s Europa League qualifier, which will determine whether the club reaches the competition.[3]
Salah signed a two-year contract with Trabzonspor after ending a Liverpool career that produced 257 goals in 442 appearances and eight major honors.[5] Sources said the 34-year-old will earn about €17 million per season, while remaining in Europe, benefiting from Türkiye’s tax environment and living a two-hour flight from Egypt.[3]
Why it matters: The deal pairs Salah’s desire to preserve earnings and stay near home with Trabzonspor’s attempt to raise its global profile and attract high-profile sponsors.[3] It also takes one of the Premier League’s defining players to a club that finished third in the Süper Lig last season and must qualify for the Europa League.[3][5]
Key insights: Beşiktaş had been the leading Turkish contender but withdrew after negotiations encountered a financial obstacle, allowing Trabzonspor to move in.[3] | Türkiye’s Istanbul-based “Big Three”—Beşiktaş, Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe—reportedly command 90% of the country’s football support, making Salah’s choice of Trabzonspor commercially distinctive.[3] | Trabzonspor immediately used Salah’s arrival as a marketing event, publishing private-jet images and presenting him to supporters at Papara Park.[3][5]
Cheatsheet facts: What changed: Salah joined Trabzonspor on a two-year contract after leaving Liverpool as a free agent.[5] | Why now: Trabzonspor offered roughly €17 million annually after Beşiktaş’s negotiations broke down, while letting Salah remain in Europe and close to Egypt.[3] | Watch next: Watch Salah’s competitive debut and Trabzonspor’s Europa League qualifier, which will determine whether the club reaches the competition.[3]