Why Mohamed Salah Chose Trabzonspor Over Saudi Riches
Nine years. 257 goals. One of the greatest careers the Premier League has ever seen.
And now, Mohamed Salah’s next chapter isn’t in Saudi Arabia, isn’t in America, and isn’t even at Besiktas — it’s in Trabzon, on the Black Sea coast, in front of fans who greeted him like he’d just won them the league.
Salah has completed his move to Trabzonspor on a two-year deal, ending weeks of transfer intrigue that saw the Egyptian King linked with everyone from MLS franchises to Saudi Pro League giants.
Instead, he’s chosen Turkey. Here’s why.
The Anfield Exit Nobody Saw Coming
To understand Trabzonspor, you have to understand how Salah left Liverpool in the first place — and it wasn’t pretty.
Just a year after signing a fresh contract extension in April 2025, following his role in Liverpool’s record-tying 20th league title, Salah’s form dipped badly.
He was dropped for three consecutive games late in the season and didn’t take it quietly, giving an explosive interview accusing the club of throwing him “under the bus” amid a disappointing run of results.
By March, the writing was on the wall.
Liverpool and Salah mutually agreed to terminate his contract a year early, closing out a nine-year spell that saw him lift seven major trophies and finish as the club’s third-highest all-time goalscorer, netting 257 goals in 442 appearances.
He left as a free agent. And free agents at his level don’t stay unattached for long.
The Suitors: Saudi Arabia, MLS, Besiktas — And Then Trabzonspor
Salah had no shortage of offers on the table. Saudi Arabia came calling, as it does for every superstar entering the back half of their career.
MLS was floated. Closer to home, Istanbul giants Besiktas opened formal talks.
But the Besiktas deal collapsed over finances, and the Saudi move never gained real traction — insiders were clear from early on that Salah wasn’t destined for the Pro League.
That left the door open for Trabzonspor, Turkey’s fourth-largest club, to make their move. And once they did, they didn’t hesitate.
Salah flew into Istanbul before travelling on to Trabzon, where he passed his medical and put pen to paper on a two-year deal in front of club president Ertugrul Dogan.
Reports suggest the total package could be worth at least 34 million euros over its duration.
Why Turkey Made Sense
So why swap Anfield’s Kop end for the Black Sea, when Saudi riyals were reportedly on offer?
The money was still elite, just not obscene. Salah’s annual salary sits around 17 million euros — the highest in Turkish football history, overtaking Victor Osimhen’s previous mark of 15 million.
On top of that, a marketing clause reportedly hands him 20 percent of revenue from any merchandise sold bearing his name or image.
Less than Anfield. Far less than Saudi Arabia would have paid. But still serious money, in a serious league.
The tax situation helps. Turkey’s tax environment for professional footballers is notably favourable, softening the gap between his old Liverpool wage and his new one.
He’s not disappearing from Europe. This is the part that separates Trabzonspor from a Saudi exile.
Having finished third in the Super Lig last season, Trabzonspor will compete in this season’s Europa League playoffs — giving Salah continued continental football, even if the Champions League nights are behind him for now.
The fanbase, the passion, the games. Turkish football offers exactly what Sky Sports’ chief correspondent flagged as a major draw: a passionate supporter base and a league full of genuinely big, high-stakes fixtures, without the suffocating pressure of chasing a Champions League treble every year.
A Hero’s Welcome
Whatever the financial logic behind the move, nobody could question the emotion of the arrival.
Thousands of Trabzonspor fans packed the airport to greet him, following him all the way to the venue of his medical.
Salah, never one to underplay a moment, joined the club’s supporters in their customary three-count victory chant before leaving.
He’s since promised the fans a level of commitment that echoes his Liverpool legacy — a signal that, even at 34 and starting fresh in a new league, the King has no intention of coasting.
What’s Next For Trabzonspor
Salah’s arrival hasn’t just energised the fanbase — it’s accelerated the club’s ambitions.
Fresh off securing the Egyptian superstar, Trabzonspor have already launched a move for Al-Hilal striker Darwin Nunez, formally approaching the Saudi club over a season-long deal.
It’s a statement of intent. Trabzonspor aren’t just building a team around Mohamed Salah — they’re building a squad they believe can compete on the continental stage, with the Egyptian King as their new talisman.
Nine years at Anfield built a legend. The next chapter starts now, on the Black Sea coast.
