BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - Friday, May 15, 2026: Liverpool substitute Mohamed Salah during the pre-match warm-up for his final two games for the club before the FA Premier League match between Aston Villa FC and Liverpool FC at Villa Park. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - Friday, May 15, 2026: Liverpool substitute Mohamed Salah during the pre-match warm-up for his final two games for the club before the FA Premier League match between Aston Villa FC and Liverpool FC at Villa Park. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Mohamed Salah‘s talks over a free transfer to Besiktas have broken down, with the Turkish club confirming they will not improve on their current contract offer.
Salah is yet to finalise his next club almost a month after his deal with Liverpool expired, with the Egyptian taking time to explore his options.
Chief among those has been Besiktas, who have been in ongoing talks with Salah’s representative Ramy Abbas Issa only to now pull away.
Besiktas sporting director Onder Ozent confirmed the negotiations in a statement on Monday, while claiming Abbas’ increasing demands led them to present a final ‘take it or leave it’ offer.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - MAY 24: Mohamed Salah of Liverpool waits in the tunnel before his guard of honour following the Premier League match between Liverpool and Brentford at Anfield on May 24, 2026 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - MAY 24: Mohamed Salah of Liverpool waits in the tunnel before his guard of honour following the Premier League match between Liverpool and Brentford at Anfield on May 24, 2026 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
“Besiktas’ offer, made on its own terms, is on the table,” Ozent told reporters, per Fanatik.
“If a response to this offer comes, it can be evaluated. But Besiktas will not make another offer.
“They’ve said they’re in talks with another club as well; perhaps they’ll reach an agreement there.
“Our final offer to Salah is the last word – one that doesn’t compromise Besiktas’ club identity.”
Besiktas president Serdal Adali previously claimed that a deal had been agreed with Salah, only for Abbas to “raise his commission to unbelievable figures, reaching about 35 percent.”
Ozent reinforced this stance, again pinning the blame on Salah’s representative with a belief that the player himself was “unaware.”
“We met with Salah three times without delving into the financial aspects of the negotiations. Everything was going smoothly up to that point,” he said.
“Once the financial discussions began, the smooth progress seen on the first day started to slow down as of July 21.
“Requests began to emerge that would bring both the flow of information and the financial side to a standstill.
“I can assume that a respected athlete like Salah was unaware of this.”
ISTANBUL, TURKEY - Tuesday, March 10, 2026: Newspapers on sale in Istanbul featuring Liverpool's Mohamed Salah seen ahead of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 1st Leg match between Galatasaray A.?. and Liverpool FC at the Ali Sami Yen Stadium. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
ISTANBUL, TURKEY - Tuesday, March 10, 2026: Newspapers on sale in Istanbul featuring Liverpool's Mohamed Salah seen ahead of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 1st Leg match between Galatasaray A.?. and Liverpool FC at the Ali Sami Yen Stadium. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Ozent added: “When it comes to Besiktas, avoiding such a situation is a requirement of being a Besiktas supporter.
“The president, by not making a populist decision, has stepped away from the table for now.”
Besiktas retain their interest in Salah but have made clear they would only do business of their terms, and it appears as though the 34-year-old’s options may not be as widespread as first anticipated.
While there were suggestions he could join a side in Italy, the likelihood is that Salah instead moves to one of football’s havens for ageing players: Turkey, Saudi Arabia or the United States.
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Bradley BARCOLA of France celebrates his goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026, Group I match between France and Senegal at MetLife Stadium on June 16, 2026 in East Rutherford, United States. (Photo by Johnny Fidelin/Icon Sport)
Bradley BARCOLA of France celebrates his goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026, Group I match between France and Senegal at MetLife Stadium on June 16, 2026 in East Rutherford, United States. (Photo by Johnny Fidelin/Icon Sport)
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