It all started with a text message during the World Cup. Ertuğrul Doğan, president of Trabzonspor, was watching the Egyptian national team when he picked up his phone and messaged team manager Fatih Tekke: "Captain, do you want Mohamed Salah?"
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Tekke responded with immediate enthusiasm, though Trabzonspor’s initial moves toward Salah remained firmly under the radar. For weeks, Beşiktaş appeared closest to securing the services of the former Liverpool forward, given the historical financial and cultural dominance of Istanbul’s "Big Three"—Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe, and Beşiktaş—over the Turkish Süper Lig's top transfers.
Istanbul is not the capital of Turkey, but it is the undisputed financial, cultural, and commercial heart of the country and the surrounding region. Therefore, Salah's decision to choose Trabzonspor came as a massive surprise.
Trabzonspor can hardly be considered a small club; together with the three Istanbul giants, it forms what is historically known in Turkey as the "Big Four." However, the coastal city of Trabzon on the Black Sea lacks the cosmopolitan lifestyle offered by Istanbul. In return, it possesses something distinct: absolute, unquestioning football loyalty.
While many Turkish cities lack a strong local football identity and their residents tend to support one of the major Istanbul clubs from afar, Trabzon is a clear exception: the entire region lives to the rhythm of its team.
Trabzon can be compared to the English city of Newcastle—a proud, working-class city in the northeast of the country with a rich industrial and maritime history, deeply bound to its football club while attempting to forge a new identity suited for the modern world.
Salah’s arrival has placed a city that often feels politically and geographically far from the center directly under the global spotlight. For Trabzon, the transfer extends far beyond football: as the city seeks to revitalize its role as a hub for maritime trade, tourism, and logistics, the Egyptian star's arrival grants it unprecedented international exposure.
The raucous scenes at Trabzon Airport on Wednesday embodied the sheer excitement. Supporters turned the airport perimeter into a sea of red flares before tens of thousands packed into Papara Park Stadium to attend Salah's presentation ceremony.
The Egyptian international could have accepted lucrative financial offers from Major League Soccer or other major leagues, but the fan culture there could not match, according to The Guardian, what he found in Trabzon. Furthermore, the 34-year-old Salah will continue playing in a competitive tournament under the UEFA umbrella, with Trabzonspor needing only to overcome the playoff rounds to reach the main stage of the UEFA Europa League.
Speaking to the crowd during his unveiling, Salah said: "I am seeing a reception like this for the first time in my life. I came here to win trophies. I am here to bring titles to this club."
Trabzonspor has long played the role of the rebel against Istanbul's football hegemony. It broke the city's monopoly back in the 1970s, with its most recent Süper Lig title coming in the 2021–2022 season. Nevertheless, a star of Salah's magnitude had never before rejected Istanbul to move to Trabzon.
His transfer comes at a time when Turkish football is experiencing a remarkable resurgence. Leandro Trossard joined Beşiktaş following a title-winning season with Arsenal, Victor Osimhen continues to spearhead Galatasaray's attack, and Nathan Aké and Mason Greenwood have joined Fenerbahçe. Meanwhile, Turkey continues to produce elite talent, led by Arda Güler at Real Madrid and Ferdi Kadıoğlu at Brighton.
Trabzonspor conducted its negotiations with Salah quietly, utilizing former winger Mahmoud Hassan (Trezeguet) to play a pivotal role behind the scenes. Salah’s Egyptian teammate spoke with him daily in an effort to convince him to seriously consider the move.
Cultural factors also played a role; moving to a Muslim-majority country that offers a welcoming environment where Salah and his family could adapt quickly proved to be an additional element in the decision.
Salah signed a two-year contract running until June 2028, with Trabzonspor disclosing the financial details via the Turkish Public Disclosure Platform (KAP). The player will receive a basic salary of €10 million per year, alongside a guaranteed annual signing bonus of €7 million, raising his total earnings to €17 million per season—a net €34 million over two years.
Given that salaries in Turkey are paid net with the club absorbing the tax obligations, what Salah will actually receive is approximately 50 percent higher than his final contract at Liverpool.
The deal also includes performance-related bonuses, an agent commission amounting to 5 percent of total wages, and an exceptional image rights agreement granting Salah 20 percent of personal merchandise sales linked to him across the club's official retail network.
The commercial returns on the deal were immediate. Within 24 hours of Salah's arrival, Trabzonspor sold over 17,000 season tickets, generating £11 million in revenue. President Doğan confirmed that projected revenues from tickets, sponsorships, and merchandise during Salah's tenure could approach £22 million, making the transfer virtually self-funding.
At the same time, Trabzonspor did not overextend itself financially, having raised approximately €95 million from player sales since last season, keeping the cost of the transaction manageable.
Salah joins a squad on a clear upward trajectory under Fatih Tekke. When the manager took charge in March 2025, Trabzonspor sat in 13th place before mounting a rally to finish third—just eight points behind champions Galatasaray—in addition to winning the Turkish Cup.
Tekke has bolstered his squad with defender Cenk Özkacar from Valencia and goalkeeper André Onana on loan from Manchester United, while the club remains in talks to sign Darwin Núñez.
Salah will wear his favored No. 10 shirt for a rising team, though the task ahead will not be easy. Galatasaray has won four consecutive league titles, while Beşiktaş and Fenerbahçe have spent lavishly during the summer transfer window.
Trabzonspor hopes Salah’s arrival will be the spark that shifts the domestic balance of power, but the value of the deal for Trabzon and the Eastern Black Sea region extends beyond results and silverware.
After decades of Istanbul's dominance, the city is betting on the Egyptian star to symbolize a new era, allowing the "Black Sea Storm" to redefine the direction of Turkish football once again.
*The Guardian News Service
