Mohamed Salah was welcomed by thousands of Trabzonspor fans at Papara Park on Aug. 6 after joining the club on a free transfer. The 34-year-old Egypt international, a two-time Premier League champion and Champions League winner with Liverpool, was greeted with chants, flares and a rewritten Turkish song in his honor. Visibly moved, he could barely speak, opening with a nervous "marhaba" and apologizing for not yet knowing Turkish. Fans showered him with nicknames including "The King of Egypt" and "Trabzon's new prince."
The scene reflects a long-established pattern in Turkish football. Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe, Beşiktaş and Trabzonspor compete fiercely each year for high-profile signings, often from western Europe, turning the transfer market into a battleground for prestige. The path to the Super Lig began in the late 1980s with Toni Schumacher and grew through the 1990s and 2000s with players such as Roberto Carlos, Wesley Sneijder and Radamel Falcao. Recent arrivals Victor Osimhen and Leroy Sané continued the tradition, with fans traditionally greeting new signings at the airport.
The summer of 2026 marked a new level of ambition. All four giants competed directly for multiple players and spent heavily, drawing global headlines. Journalist Hasan Mor noted the names brought in made news worldwide.
Spending has surged accordingly. In each of the last two years, Super Lig spending has exceeded €400 million according to Transfermarkt, after previously reaching €200 million only once. That places the Turkish league seventh in the world in spending over the period.
Source: ESPN Soccer · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing