Mohamed Salah (C-L) of Trabzonspor warms up during the Turkish Super League 2026/27 match between Kasimpasa and Trabzonspor at Recep Tayyip Erdogan Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey, on August 15, 2026.
Mohamed Salah (C-L) of Trabzonspor warms up during the Turkish Super League 2026/27 match between Kasimpasa and Trabzonspor at Recep Tayyip Erdogan Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey, on August 15, 2026.
Mohamed Salah has spent the past few months settling into life on the shores of the Black Sea, and the former Liverpool forward appears to be thriving at Trabzonspor, where his face now looks out from shop walls, scarves, keyrings and even the inside of the local fishmongers.
The Egyptian, who announced he was leaving the Reds in March this year, completed one of the most unexpected transfers of the summer when he swapped Merseyside for the north east of Turkey, and BBC Sport’s Liverpool reporter Aadam Patel travelled to Trabzon to see how the 34 year old has adapted to his new surroundings.
On the pitch, Salah has wasted little time in making his mark, scoring 10 goals and providing five assists in 15 games across all competitions.
Trabzonspor have won seven of their opening 10 league matches, including victories over leaders Galatasaray and Besiktas, and they sit three points off the top of the Turkish Super Lig as they chase what would be only the eighth league title in the club’s history.
Away from the football, his arrival has transformed the club commercially, with Trabzonspor surpassing last year’s merchandise revenue within three months, while airlines have introduced new flights to the city from Cairo, Dubai and Riyadh since he signed.
It was during that visit that Patel asked Salah whether he had a message for the Liverpool supporters he left behind, and the forward kept his reply as short as it could possibly be, simply saying “hello” before breaking into a smile.
That brevity will surprise few who followed him during his years at Anfield, where Salah rarely stopped to speak in the mixed zone, and Patel pointed out that talking regularly on record has never really been in his nature.
The single word still carries some weight given the manner of his exit, which gathered pace after his infamous mixed zone interview at Elland Road less than a year ago and ended with Salah agreeing to terminate his contract a year early.
Arne Slot and Richard Hughes have both since left the club as well.
Liverpool, meanwhile, continue to feel his absence. Last season was the least prolific of his Anfield career, yet the club’s struggles in front of goal in the Premier League make it hard to claim they have replaced one of their greatest ever players.
Salah, who earns around £14.6m a year along with 20% of official merchandise sales carrying his name, still harbours ambitions of playing at the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2030 World Cup.
His two year deal in Turkey runs until 2028, by which point he will be 36, and there is growing belief among sources in the Middle East that he will move to Saudi Arabia once that contract expires.
For now, Liverpool supporters will have to make do with a smile and a single word, while the people of Trabzon enjoy everything else their new Egyptian King has to offer.
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