Besiktas suspend Mohamed Salah transfer talks over financial concerns

Besiktas have temporarily withdrawn from negotiations to sign Egypt captain Mohamed Salah after discussions over the financial terms of the proposed deal reached an impasse.

Sporting director Onder Ozen confirmed the Turkish club had held several rounds of talks with the Liverpool forward but said negotiations became increasingly complicated once financial matters were introduced.

“For some time now, there has been a lot of speculation about Mohamed Salah. The topic has been discussed from all angles. There are things we want to clarify about it.”

Talks progressed before financial discussions

Ozen revealed that Besiktas had contacted Salah and explored a financial model for completing the transfer, with initial conversations progressing positively.

“We contacted Salah. That also included a model for financing the deal. Salah is a global star and a respected athlete. We spoke with him 3 times at the stage where we had not yet entered into the financial side of the negotiations. Up to this point, everything was going smoothly.”

According to the sporting director, negotiations slowed significantly after financial issues were raised.

“When the financial aspect was discussed, the smoothness that existed on the first day began to slow down from July 21. Requests began to arrive that would cause the flow of information and the financial aspect to come to a standstill. I can assume that a respected athlete like Salah is unaware of this.”

Club unwilling to compromise on policy

Ozen stressed that Besiktas would not depart from its financial principles, particularly regarding commissions linked to player transfers.

“The club has a policy, and it cannot deviate from it. Our president has very clearly defined the point at which he will stop, and he has stayed there. Working in the field of player management is legal, there is a legal value to the commission, and exceeding it may involve an illegal situation.”

He added that the club’s leadership chose to suspend discussions rather than agree to terms that could conflict with its internal policies.

“If it concerns Besiktas, then not getting into such a situation (breaking the law in commissions) is also a requirement of belonging to the club. The president made an unpopular decision and decided to temporarily withdraw from the negotiating table in the Salah deal.”

Future of deal remains uncertain

While Besiktas have stepped away from negotiations for now, the club described the decision as temporary, leaving open the possibility that talks with the Egyptian forward could resume if the outstanding financial issues are resolved.

The latest development casts doubt over Salah’s immediate future, with one of Africa’s biggest football stars remaining at the centre of transfer speculation during the summer window.