Turkish Süper Lig club Trabzonspor has announced that it has opened official transfer negotiations to sign free-agent forward Mohamed Salah.
In a formal filing submitted to the Public Disclosure Platform on Aug. 4, the Black Sea club confirmed it is pursuing the 34-year-old Egyptian international. “Negotiations have begun over the transfer of professional soccer player Mohamed Salah, who is a free agent, to our club,” Trabzonspor said in the disclosure.
Speaking to broadcaster A Spor shortly after the announcement, Trabzonspor President Ertuğrul Doğan said while the transfer is not yet finalized, Salah was expected to arrive in Istanbul on Aug. 5 for medical checks before traveling to Trabzon to sign a contract, likely on Aug. 6.
Turkish media reports indicate Trabzonspor has offered Salah a two-year deal with an annual salary of approximately 17 million euros ($19.6 million).
Trabzonspor entered the race for Salah after rival Istanbul side Beşiktaş paused weeks of negotiations over disagreements regarding commercial rights, shirt sales and agent commissions.
The club finished third in the Turkish top flight last season, nine points clear of Beşiktaş, to qualify for the Europa League playoff round.
Salah netted 257 goals for Liverpool in 442 appearances in all competitions, making him the third top goalscorer in the club’s history.
He has also 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.
The 34-year-old Salah was far from his best in a struggling Liverpool team last term, scoring only seven times in the league.
He last played at the World Cup, helping Egypt reach the last 16 for the first time since 1934 before they blew a two-goal lead to suffer an agonizing loss to eventual runners-up Argentina.
