Mohamed Salah arrives in Turkey ahead of expected Trabzonspor move

Mohamed Salah has arrived in Istanbul ahead of his expected move to Trabzonspor from Liverpool, with the Egyptian forward greeted by hundreds of supporters after landing at Ataturk Airport on Wednesday.

Salah, 34, was smiling and wearing Trabzonspor’s burgundy and blue colours as fans gathered to catch a glimpse of the former Liverpool player. He waved to the crowd and led a traditional chant before leaving for a medical examination and a planned flight east to Trabzon.

Trabzonspor announced on Tuesday that negotiations with Salah were under way. Club chairman Ertugrul Dogan said the Turkish top-flight side expected to complete the signing on a free transfer at a ceremony in the Black Sea city on Thursday.

In a video published by Trabzonspor on X, Salah said: “Trabzon, are you ready? I can hear you. See you very soon.”

While wearing the club’s shirt, he added: “Everywhere is Trabzon to us,” referring to Trabzonspor’s motto.

Details of the contract Salah is expected to sign have not been released.

Salah left Liverpool this summer after nine years at the club, during which he scored 257 goals in 442 appearances. He won the Premier League twice and the Champions League once during his time at Anfield.

His most productive campaign came in the 2024-25 season, when he scored 29 Premier League goals and supplied 18 assists. That meant he equalled the league record for the most goal involvements in a single season and set a new record for a 38-game campaign.

Salah was named Premier League Player of the Season and collected both the Golden Boot and the Playmaker Award. He became the first player to win all three individual honours in the same campaign.

His form declined last season, however, as he scored seven goals and registered seven assists in 27 league appearances. He was also left on the bench for Champions League matches, a situation that contributed to a public disagreement with Liverpool’s then-manager Arne Slot.

Salah began his European career with Swiss club Basel in 2012 before moving to Chelsea. He spent brief periods with Fiorentina and AS Roma between 2015 and 2017, then joined Liverpool.

Trabzonspor are widely regarded as the fourth biggest club in Turkey, behind Istanbul rivals Fenerbahce, Galatasaray and Besiktas. They finished third in the Super Lig last season and will enter the Europa League play-off round.

The club’s most recent league title came in the 2021-22 season.

Salah had also been close to joining Besiktas, but talks reportedly stalled because of disagreements over financial terms and image-rights demands, according to local media.