Mohamed Salah set to join Turkey’s Trabzonspor

ANKARA – Mohamed Salah arrived smiling at an Istanbul airport on Aug 5 wearing Trabzonspor’s burgundy-and-blue kit ahead of his expected move to the Turkish top-tier side from Liverpool, as hundreds of fans jostled to get a glimpse of the Egyptian forward.

Trabzonspor announced a day earlier that they were in negotiations with Salah. Club chairman Ertugrul Dogan said they expected to sign the 34-year-old on a free transfer at a ceremony in the Black Sea city on Aug 6.

“Trabzon, are you ready? I can hear you. See you very soon,” Salah said in a video posted by the club on social media platform X.

“Everywhere is Trabzon to us,” the 34-year-old added, referring to the club’s motto.

Upon arriving at Ataturk Airport, Salah was met by hundreds of fans. He waved at supporters and initiated a traditional chant with them, before departing for a medical check and a planned flight east to Trabzon.

Salah left Liverpool this summer after nine years, having scored 257 goals in 442 appearances, where he won the English Premier League twice and the Champions League once.

In the 2024-25 season, he scored 29 Premier League goals and provided 18 assists, equalling the league record for most goal involvements in a single season and setting the record for a 38-game campaign.

He was named Premier League Player of the Season and won the Golden Boot and the Playmaker Award, becoming the first player to take all three in one campaign.

His output waned last season, with seven goals and seven assists in 27 league matches and he was left on the bench in Champions League games, leading to a public spat with Liverpool’s then manager Arne Slot.

Salah started his career in Europe at Swiss side Basel in 2012 and later joined Chelsea. He also had brief stints at Fiorentina and AS Roma between 2015 and 2017 before joining Liverpool.

Trabzonspor – generally considered to be the fourth-biggest team in Turkey after Istanbul sides Fenerbahce, Galatasaray and Besiktas – finished third in last season’s Super Lig and will enter the Europa League play-off round.

Salah had been close to joining Besiktas. Its football director Onder Ozen said negotiations had stalled over financial and image-rights demands, according to local media.

Meanwhile, British media reported on Aug 5 that Premier League champions Arsenal have agreed on a £75 million (S$129 million) deal to sign Newcastle United captain Bruno Guimaraes.

Arsenal’s opening offer for the 28-year-old Brazil midfielder was rejected earlier this week, but the Gunners returned with an improved bid and have now reached an agreement, according to Sky Sports.

Guimaraes previously said he wanted to join Arsenal if a suitable offer arrived, reports said.

The Magpies were keen to retain their skipper, who has two years remaining on his contract at St James’ Park and an option for a further year.

The midfielder joined Newcastle from French side Lyon in January 2022 and became one of the club’s most influential players.

He has made 195 appearances in all competitions, scoring 31 goals, and helped Newcastle end a long wait for domestic silverware by captaining the club to League Cup success in 2025.

After a holiday following Brazil’s World Cup last-16 exit in July, Guimaraes rejoined his Newcastle teammates at a pre-season training camp in Spain.

But it looks increasingly unlikely that he will be with the Magpies when they kick off their Premier League campaign at home against Liverpool on Aug 23.

Arsenal open their title defence against Coventry City at the Emirates Stadium on Aug 21.

Gunners boss Mikel Arteta has not spoken publicly about his interest in Guimaraes, but said the club are “very active” and “very ambitious in what we want to do”.

“We need to increase the competition internally. We need to make sure we identify the things that we don’t have in the team,” he said. AFP, REUTERS