Be?ikta? president Serdal Adal? has dropped an absolute bombshell regarding the transfer recent claims of Mohamed Salah, confirming the club came incredibly close to signing the Liverpool legend before a massive financial row derailed the move.
While Salah’s contract situation has had football fans on edge for months, it turns out the Egyptian king actually gave his green light to a shocking move to Turkey. However, just as the historic transfer looked complete, a dramatic U-turn from the player’s camp left the entire deal hanging by a thread.
According to Adal?, the negotiations were far more advanced than anyone in the British or Turkish press had anticipated. Salah was reportedly sold on the project presented by the Black Eagles, engaging in direct dialogue with the club’s hierarchy to map out his future in Turkey.
“Salah gave his approval,” Adal? revealed in a stunning interview with WinWin. “He spoke directly to our head coach and our sporting director, and he said yes. His agent initially responded very positively to our approach. We love Salah, and we reached an agreement with the player on every single sporting and personal issue.”
For football fans globally, the visual of Salah trading the Premier League for the roaring atmosphere of the Tüpra? Stadium is mind-blowing. The deal was considered a generational coup for Turkish football until a sudden media leak completely derailed the momentum.
? DONE DEAL
?? Mohamed Salah has given his green light to Besiktas! ?
? Agreement found on a year deal with option as per @Santi_J_FM
?? Besiktas wants to complete Salah’s deal early next week for medical and signature. #mercato #BJK pic.twitter.com/fjLV6pvXnZ
— Sacha Tavolieri (@sachatavolieri) July 17, 2026
Just as Be?ikta? officials were preparing to finalise the paperwork, news of the secret agreement broke in the media. What happened next, according to Adal?, was a textbook case of transfer market opportunism that completely shut the negotiations down.
As soon as the transfer was reported as a “done deal,” the financial demands from the player’s camp suddenly skyrocketed. Adal? didn’t hold back when pointing the finger at a staggering, unprecedented commission request that brought talks to a pause.
His agent allegedly altered the financial framework immediately after the leak. An astronomical 35% commission fee was demanded on top of the agreed player contract. Be?ikta? formally rejected the revised terms, walking away from the table until demands are lowered.
“Once the media reported the transfer was ‘done’, the agent immediately raised his demands,” Adal? explained with visible frustration. “He asked for an unbelievable 35% commission. We cannot and will not accept this under any circumstances. There is no completed transfer yet. We rejected the revised demands outright, though our talks are technically continuing.”
Interestingly, the Be?ikta? president was quick to shield the Liverpool icon from blame, suggesting that Salah is likely oblivious to the financial greed threatening to ruin his next career move.
“We negotiate only with Ramy Abbas. We do not believe Salah is aware of these numbers,” Adal? added, confirming they are strictly dealing with Salah’s long-term representative while trying to block out external intermediaries attempting to hijack the historic deal.
War with the media: Be?ikta? lashes out
The fury inside the Turkish club isn’t just directed at the financial demands; it is also aimed at the journalists who leaked the story. The club’s hierarchy is convinced that premature media hype directly triggered the agent’s greed.
In an unusually aggressive move, Be?ikta? released a scathing official club statement targeting prominent Turkish journalist Ya??z Sabuncuo?lu, accusing him of spreading “pure fiction” and actively sabotaging the club’s hard work behind the scenes.
???
Besiktas release a club statement in regards to rumours surrounding Mohamed Salah:
“The posts made by journalist Ya??z Sabuncuo?lu on digital platforms regarding our club's transfer processes and the rumored transfer conditions are absolutely products of imagination.… pic.twitter.com/Dq97wERNbf
— Salah Updates (@SalahUpdates) July 17, 2026
“The posts made by journalist Ya??z Sabuncuo?lu regarding our club’s transfer processes and the rumored transfer conditions are absolutely products of the imagination,” the official club statement read.
“The individual in question has been misleading the public for a long time by disseminating news fabricated at his desk.”
Salah’s longtime representative, Ramy Abbas, has attempted to quite the intense speculation. Abbas has taken a defensive stance, insisting that the forward’s future remains entirely undecided.
“I personally do not know where Mohamed will play next season,” Abbas stated, firing back at the media frenzy. He fiercely denied that their camp would engage in frivolous talks with clubs just to generate cheap publicity or leverage.
I personally do not know where Mohamed will play next season. What does that tell you?
— Ramy Abbas Issa (@RamyCol) July 17, 2026
As it stands, the ball is firmly back in the agent’s court. Salah wants the historic move, and Be?ikta? desperately want the player. However, unless Abbas and his team drop their staggering financial demands, one of the wildest, most unexpected free agency transfers in football history could be completely off the table.