When Mohamed Salah landed at Istanbul Airport to sign for Trabzonspor, the crowds and cameras told a story of a superstar still capable of electrifying a fanbase. But the reality of his move to Turkey’s fourth-biggest club is more sobering. It represents how far the Egyptian has fallen in just 12 months.

Key Facts

• Mohamed Salah has joined Trabzonspor on a deal reported to be worth €17m a year.
• The Egyptian was benched by Liverpool for a Champions League defeat to Galatasaray in September and dropped in November.
• His relationship with manager Arne Slot deteriorated, culminating in a public outburst.
• Trabzonspor finished third in the Turkish Super Lig last season and will play in the Europa League unless they lose a play-off.
• Sporting Kansas City and Al-Ittihad were also linked with Salah.
• Liverpool missed out on RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande despite a £100m package.

A Year of Change

A year ago, Salah was fresh from a season of 29 Premier League goals and 18 assists. He was expected to choose between the continent’s most powerful clubs or a blockbuster Saudi offer. Instead, after a difficult final season at Anfield, he has joined a team that finished third in the Turkish Super Lig. Reported to be earning €17m a year, Salah remains a major attraction. Yet the move carries an undeniable sense of anticlimax.

From Benched to Bowing Out

The path to Trabzonspor arguably began on the bench in Liverpool’s Champions League defeat to Galatasaray in September. Salah was left out of Arne Slot’s starting lineup. His six-minute cameo was notable only for the brief presence of Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike and Salah on the field together. It was the first signal that he was no longer untouchable.

By November he was being dropped altogether. Relations with Slot deteriorated. Salah later claimed he had been 'thrown under the bus', an outburst that effectively marked the end of his Liverpool career. He still delivered flashes of quality, including a glorious quarter-hour against Galatasaray at Anfield in March, but the surrounding narrative was one of decline. In the subsequent Champions League tie against Paris Saint-Germain he was ineffectual, and it may prove to be his last appearance in Europe’s premier competition.

A High-Profile Move With a Smaller Stage

Trabzonspor are not a small club. They are one of Turkey’s traditional powers, and their supporters are among the most passionate in the world. But the club’s recent history has been defined by domestic battles rather than European glory. Finishing third last season means Salah will likely play in the Europa League, unless a play-off defeat to Ferencvaros or Gornik Zabrze drops them into the Conference League. That is a long way from the Champions League nights he once dominated.

Salah will be an incongruous figure in a squad featuring Sidny Lopes Cabral, the Cape Verdean who scored one of the goals of the World Cup, as well as the erratic Andre Onana and Paul Onuachu. Few of his new teammates possess the quality he enjoyed at Liverpool. His presence gives Trabzonspor instant global publicity, but the footballing challenge is different.

Why Turkey Won the Race

Salah did not lack suitors. Sporting Kansas City were interested. Saudi Arabia had long been mentioned as the natural destination for the most high-profile Arab footballer in the world, especially after Al-Ittihad made a £150m bid in 2023. Yet that bid came at the end of a summer of Saudi spending, after earlier targets had been pursued. Salah never seemed to view Saudi as a dream move, and regional tensions may have made it less appealing.

Turkey offered a different set of attractions. It is an Islamic country, geographically close to Egypt, and the Super Lig has become increasingly attractive to established stars. The league already includes Victor Osimhen, Ilkay Gundogan, Leroy Sane, Ederson and Leandro Trossard. Only Osimhen is under 30, which highlights a growing reputation for the Super Lig as a lucrative retirement home for ageing footballers. Salah’s €17m salary shows Turkish clubs can outbid many French, Spanish, German and Italian sides.

The Contract and Commercial Puzzle

Liverpool’s departure may have been softened by a pay-off for the final year of Salah’s contract. That is standard practice for clubs looking to move on a high earner. But Salah’s commercial income was built in part on the global platform Liverpool provided. Trabzonspor, for all their passionate fanbase, do not offer the same reach. Moving to Turkey rather than a top-five league or a Champions League club risked reducing his profile at a crucial stage of his career.

There is an argument that Salah chose stability and cultural comfort over prestige. A return to Roma, his old club, was considered by his camp, but no move materialised. The fact that Europe’s traditional elite did not come forward suggests they believe his best days are behind him. That is a hard truth for a player who was once regarded as one of the world’s most devastating attackers.

Liverpool’s Unfinished Business

Liverpool’s decision not to offer Salah a new deal was telling. Even after Slot was sacked and Andoni Iraola appointed, the club did not change its stance. Salah’s Instagram post calling for a return to 'heavy-metal football' may have supported the regime change, but it did not secure his future. His last game for Liverpool was a May draw against Brentford.

The club always knew Salah was irreplaceable in terms of output, but they have not yet found a direct replacement. They had time to plan, and made a £100m package for RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande. But Diomande is instead joining Real Madrid. As August arrives, Liverpool are left with a hole where Salah once stood.

Trabzonspor, meanwhile, have made the most spectacular signing in their history. The crowds at Istanbul Airport confirmed the excitement. Whether the reality can match the drama is another question. Salah will be expected to deliver goals and inspiration in the Super Lig, but his move is as much a reflection of his own fading status as it is of Turkish football’s growing ambitions. The cold truth is that he has traded Anfield for a smaller stage, and Liverpool have yet to find a way to replace him.

Source: MSN News