Mohamed Salah was greeted by cheering fans in Istanbul on Wednesday as he closed in on a move to Trabzonspor. The Liverpool icon wore the club’s blue and burgundy striped shirt after flying in on a private jet to complete the deal, and a video message posted to the club’s X channel read: "Trabzon are you ready? I can hear you. See you very soon."

Turkish TV showed still images of the Egyptian signing wearing a shirt with No. 61 as he arrived, and NTV announced that his official signing ceremony would be held Thursday in the Black Sea city. The announcement saw Trabzonspor shares rise 6.5%. Salah is a free agent after leaving Liverpool at the end of last season, where he scored 257 goals in 442 appearances.

The 34‑year‑old had a dramatic drop in form last season, scoring only 12 goals, and announced his departure in March despite a year left on his 2025 contract. He had been linked with a Saudi move, but this week Trabzonspor emerged as the frontrunner.

Trabzonspor, a seven‑time Turkish champion, finished third last season and now looks to add a global star to its squad.