Mohamed Salah received a hero’s welcome in Istanbul on Wednesday as he edged closer to completing a move to Trabzonspor after leaving Liverpool. The Egyptian forward arrived at Ataturk Airport wearing Trabzonspor’s trademark burgundy and blue colours, drawing a large crowd of supporters who gathered for a glimpse of the former Liverpool star.
Salah acknowledged the fans, waved to them and even joined in with a traditional chant before leaving the airport for his medical.
He is then expected to travel to Trabzon, where his move could be formally completed on Thursday. Trabzonspor confirmed on Tuesday that discussions with Salah were underway, while club president Ertugrul Dogan said the Turkish side were hopeful of securing the 34-year-old on a free transfer. The club has yet to reveal the details of the proposed contract.
Salah’s arrival would mark the end of a remarkable nine-year spell at Liverpool. He departed the Premier League club after scoring 257 goals across 442 appearances, while helping them win two league titles and the Champions League.
The Egyptian enjoyed a sensational 2024-25 campaign, scoring 29 times in the Premier League and registering 18 assists. His 47 goal involvements matched the competition’s all-time record for a single season and set a new benchmark across a 38-game campaign.
His performances earned him the Premier League Player of the Season award, along with the Golden Boot and Playmaker prizes. He became the first player to collect all three honours in the same Premier League season.
The following campaign proved considerably more difficult. Salah managed seven goals and seven assists in 27 league appearances and also found himself starting from the bench in Champions League matches. His frustration eventually spilled into a public disagreement with then-Liverpool manager Arne Slot.
Salah began his European career with Swiss club Basel in 2012 before moving to Chelsea. After limited spells with Fiorentina and Roma, he joined Liverpool in 2017 and went on to establish himself as one of the Premier League’s most prolific forwards.
Trabzonspor, traditionally regarded as one of Turkey’s biggest clubs outside Istanbul’s dominant trio of Fenerbahce, Galatasaray and Besiktas, finished third in the Super Lig last season. That result secured them a place in the Europa League playoff round.
The Black Sea club last lifted the Turkish league title in the 2021-22 season. Salah had also been linked with a move to Besiktas, but those talks reportedly broke down because of disagreements over financial terms and image-rights requirements, according to Turkish media reports.
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