Besiktas turn to Chiesa after ending Mohamed Salah pursuit

Besiktas have abandoned their ambitious move for Mohamed Salah and are instead preparing a renewed push to sign Liverpool winger Federico Chiesa, according to reports in Turkey.

The Istanbul club’s sporting director Onder Ozen has confirmed that Besiktas have formally withdrawn from negotiations to bring in Egypt captain Salah during the current summer transfer window.

Ozen’s stance follows what Turkish outlet turkiyegazetesi describes as a firm decision by the Besiktas board not to accept financial demands they believed would compromise the club’s budget discipline.

The report claims Besiktas had been ready to commit a total of €20m to Salah and his representative for just a single season, but talks collapsed when agreement could not be reached.

With the deal now off, the article states that the significant funds allocated for the potential signing will remain available for other business as Besiktas reshape their strategy for the window.

Focus shifts to Federico Chiesa

Turkiyegazetesi reports that Besiktas are now targeting Federico Chiesa as a major attacking reinforcement and intend to move for the Liverpool player in this transfer period.

The Turkish side were said to be interested in signing Chiesa last season, but that attempt came to nothing and the Italy international stayed at Anfield.

This time, Besiktas head coach Vincenzo Italiano is expected to play a central role in the pursuit of his compatriot.

The report says: “سيشارك الايطالي فينتشنزو ايتاليانو مدرب بشكتاش، بنفسه في المفاوضات لضم مواطنه كييزا الذي لا يشعر بالرضا في ليفربول.”

Translated, it states that Italiano will personally take part in negotiations to sign Chiesa, who is described as being unhappy at Liverpool.

According to the Turkish outlet, Besiktas view the redistribution of the money initially earmarked for Salah as an opportunity to strengthen several areas of the squad rather than committing such a large sum to a single star name.

Defensive reinforcements also on agenda

As well as the move for Chiesa, Besiktas are also looking to use the financial margin created by stepping away from the Salah deal to reinforce their defence.

German centre-back Jeff Chabot of Stuttgart has emerged as a leading option, turkiyegazetesi reports.

Chabot previously worked under Italiano at Spezia during the 2020-21 season in Serie A, a connection which is seen as a potential advantage for Besiktas as they explore a deal.

The defender is noted in the report for his height of 1.95m, his physical strength and his effectiveness in aerial duels, attributes Besiktas are believed to value as they look to bolster their back line.

The club’s revised recruitment plan, as outlined in the Turkish coverage, centres on using the money freed up by the collapse of the Salah talks to complete multiple signings across different positions, rather than committing their summer budget to a single marquee arrival.