Mohamed Salah has been confirmed as a Trabzonspor player after leaving Liverpool a year before his contract expired, speaking for the first time as a Super Lig star
Mohamed Salah in action for Egypt at the World Cup.
Mohamed Salah in action for Egypt at the World Cup.(Image: Andrew J. Clark/ISI Photos via Getty Images)
Liverpool legend Mohamed Salah has officially signed for Trabzonspor in Turkiye, a few weeks after leaving the Anfield side after agreeing to terminate his contract a year early.
Besiktas and Al Ittihad were among the sides to register an interest in Salah but the Egyptian is instead signing for Trabzonspor, who finished third in the standings last season and could therefore play Europa League soccer in the coming months if it makes it through the play-off round.
"Trabzon, are you ready? I can hear you. See you very soon," Salah says on a video posted to official club channels this morning.
Trabzonspor fans are aleady in numbers waiting at Istanbul airport as Salah jets in. An agreement was reached with the Egyptian on Tuesday regarding a deal.
Salah has been without a club since terminating his Liverpool contract a year early after a disappointing campaign under Arne Slot.
Besiktas, another Turkish outfit, and Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia were among those to register an interest in signing him up. But Trabzonspor has won the race for his signature.
The deal was announced officially with a video of Salah putting on a Trabzonspor jersey.
He also gave the short video message which ended with a short phrase in Turkish.
"I never believed he was going to go to Saudi," Jamie Carragher said on The Football Ramble. "Number one, he is too good for that, and I think he could be playing in Serie A.
"Turkiye, for me, feels like a level too low. I was convinced he would end up an AC Milan or a Juventus. Maybe his wages were a problem.
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"I don't know him but he is like Cristiano Ronaldo. He is so driven and his numbers mean so much to him. I thought, and he can still do this in Turkiye, that he would want to play for a real prestigious club.
"Obviously his wage demands have probably put a few people off, but I thought he might curb those demands a bit to get a better club.
"Go to a Milan or a Juventus, play in the San Siro, play in Europe. Turkiye, I just think he is better than that."
Liverpool.com says: It is slightly strange to see Salah at Trabzonspor. As Carragher says, it felt like a much better fit for him to return to Serie A, where there was interest. It is a shame that he won't be gracing the Champions League.