ISTANBUL, Turkey — Former Liverpool soccer star Mohamed Salah arrived in Istanbul on Wednesday to complete his shock move to Turkish club Trabzonspor after leaving the Premier League giants at the end of his contract.
“Salah mode: ON,” Trabzonspor posted on social media alongside photos of the 34-year-old Egyptian superstar aboard a private jet wearing the team’s blue and maroon home shirt.
Turkey’s northeast club announced on Tuesday that they had begun “negotiations” with Salah, who left Liverpool after nine seasons and 257 goals in 442 games, making him the third top goal scorer in the club’s history.
The soccer star landed at around 9 a.m. in Istanbul, where he was greeted by hundreds of ecstatic supporters.
“I’m here straight after my night shift, and now for Mohamed Salah, I am ready to spend another sleepless night,” Trabzonspor supporter Abdul Kerim Yervan told AFP.
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Salah is due to undergo a medical on Wednesday in Istanbul before flying to Trabzon later in the day.
What a welcome for Mo Salah! ????????????
The Egyptian has arrived in Istanbul ahead of signing for Trabzonspor. pic.twitter.com/uTe7t1wec0
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) August 5, 2026
The right-wing player is set to sign a two-season contract with an option for a third, earning $19.6 million a year, according to several Turkish media outlets.
Salah scored 193 Premier League goals, 191 of them for the Reds, putting him fourth in the all-time list behind English trio Alan Shearer, Harry Kane and Wayne Rooney.
Trabzonspor finished third in the Turkish top flight last season, nine points clear of Besiktas, to qualify for the Europa League playoff round.
Trabzonspor football club’s supporters cheer Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah upon his arrival at Istanbul Ataturk Airport to complete his transfer to Turkish football club Trabzonspor in Istanbul on August 5, 2026. (Ozan KOSE/AFP)
Salah was far from his best in a struggling Liverpool team last term, scoring only seven times in this league. However, he helped Egypt reach the last 16 for the first time since 1934 before they blew a two-goal lead and suffered an agonizing loss to eventual runners-up Argentina in the last World Cup.
Salah has scored 66 goals in 119 international appearances for Egypt and is one of the most successful African players in history.
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