It's the transfer story nobody quite saw coming. Mohamed Salah — one of the greatest footballers of his generation, a man who wrote his name into Liverpool folklore across nine extraordinary years — is heading to Turkey. The Egyptian King has signed a two-year deal with Trabzonspor on a free transfer, and football is still trying to make sense of it.
At 34, Salah isn't done. Not even close. But a difficult final season at Anfield, a very public falling out with manager Arne Slot, and a mutual decision to terminate his contract a year early have led him here — to a new chapter, in a league few predicted he'd ever call home.
How It All Unravelled at Liverpool
The 2025/26 season was not kind to Salah. What had looked like a Hollywood finale — one last year in the red shirt, a guard of honour, tears on the Kop — turned messy long before the final whistle. His relationship with Slot broke down publicly in December, when Salah accused the club of throwing him "under the bus" after being dropped. From that moment, the end felt inevitable.
Liverpool and Salah agreed to cut short his contract by a season. He returned to say his goodbyes, played his part in the farewell fanfare, and left Anfield as a legend. What happened next is where it gets interesting.
Why Trabzonspor?
The rumour mill went into overdrive. Saudi Pro League clubs were linked. Besiktas was reported to be the frontrunner. Then, at the last moment, everything pivoted. Trabzonspor came in with an offer that changed the picture entirely — a reported €17 million net per year, making Salah the highest-paid player in the club's history.
For Salah, it's more than just a paycheque. Turkey offers top-level football, passionate fans, and a competitive league. It's not the retirement league move it might look like from the outside. Trabzonspor are genuinely ambitious, and they've just signed one of football's most iconic names to prove it.
What He Brings
Even in a difficult season at Liverpool, Salah's quality was never in question. His numbers, his movement, his ability to score from anywhere on the pitch — none of that disappears overnight. Trabzonspor fans will get to watch a player who has scored over 230 Premier League goals, won the Champions League, the Premier League, and represented Egypt at multiple Africa Cup of Nations tournaments.
The Turkish Super Lig is about to get a very big name. And if Salah has anything to say about it, the Egyptian King isn't ready to hang up his crown just yet.
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