Mohamed Salah arrives in Turkey ahead of expected move to Trabzonspor

ISTANBUL: Mohamed Salah arrived smiling at an Istanbul airport on Wednesday wearing Trabzonspor's burgundy and blue kit ahead of his expected move to the Turkish top-tier side from Liverpool, as hundreds of fans jostled to get a glimpse of the Egyptian forward. Trabzonspor announced a day earlier they were in negotiations with Salah and club chairman Ertugrul Dogan said they expected to sign the 34-year-old on a free transfer at a ceremony in the Black Sea city on Thursday. "Trabzon, are you ready? I can hear you. See you very soon," Salah said in a video posted by the club on X. "Everywhere is Trabzon to us," he added while wearing a Trabzonspor kit, referring to the club's motto. Upon arriving at Ataturk Airport, Salah was met by hundreds of fans. He waved at supporters and initiated a traditional chant with them, before departing for a medical check and a later planned flight east to Trabzon. Salah left Liverpool this summer after nine years, having scored 257 goals in 442 appearances and having won the Premier League twice and the Champions League once. In the 2024-25 season, Salah scored 29 Premier League goals and provided 18 assists, equalling the league record for most goal involvements in a single season and setting the record for a 38-game campaign. He was named Premier League Player of the Season and won the Golden Boot and the Playmaker Award, becoming the first player to take all three in one campaign. His output waned last season, with seven goals and seven assists in 27 league matches and he was left on the bench in Champions League games, leading to a public spat with Liverpool's then-manager Arne Slot. Salah started his career in Europe at Swiss side Basel in 2012 and later joined Chelsea. He also had brief stints at Fiorentina and AS Roma between 2015 and 2017 before joining Liverpool. Trabzonspor - generally considered to be the fourth biggest team in Turkey after Istanbul sides Fenerbahce, Galatasaray, and Besiktas - finished third in the Super Lig last season and will enter the Europa League playoff round. The club's last league championship was in the 2021-22 season. Salah had been close to joining Besiktas, but negotiations had stalled over financial and image-rights demands, according to local media. Details of the contract Salah is expected to sign have not been disclosed yet.