Mohamed Salah joins Trabzonspor on two-year deal after Liverpool exit
Synopsis
One of the Premier League's greatest-ever forwards has chosen Turkey over a high-profile European move. Salah's free transfer to Trabzonspor — after 255 goals, four Golden Boots, and nine trophies at Liverpool — is the biggest signing in Turkish Super Lig history and a statement of intent from a club that ended a 38-year title drought as recently as 2022.
Key Takeaways
Mohamed Salah has signed a two-year contract with Trabzonspor on a free transfer, announced on 6 August .
Salah scored 255 goals in 435 appearances for Liverpool , finishing third on the club's all-time scoring list.
He won nine major trophies at Anfield, including the UEFA Champions League and two Premier League titles .
Salah claimed the Premier League Golden Boot four times during his nine-year spell.
Trabzonspor are seven-time Turkish league champions, most recently winning the Super Lig in 2022 after a 38-year wait.
The signing is considered one of the biggest transfers in Turkish Super Lig history.
Mohamed Salah, Egypt's captain and one of world football's most prolific forwards, has signed a two-year contract with Turkish Super Lig side Trabzonspor on a free transfer, ending his celebrated nine-year association with Liverpool. The move was confirmed on 6 August, with Salah arriving in Turkey after he and Liverpool mutually agreed to terminate his contract one year ahead of schedule, following the conclusion of the 2025-26 Premier League season.
End of a Liverpool Era
Salah's departure from Anfield closes one of the most decorated chapters in the club's modern history. The Egyptian forward arrived from Italian giants AS Roma in the summer of 2017 and quickly established himself as one of Liverpool's greatest-ever players. Over nine seasons, he accumulated 255 goals in 435 appearances, placing him third on Liverpool's all-time scoring list.
His trophy haul at the club was extraordinary: two Premier League titles, the UEFA Champions League, the FIFA Club World Cup, the UEFA Super Cup, the FA Cup, two League Cups, and the FA Community Shield. Individually, Salah claimed the Premier League Golden Boot on four occasions — a record of consistency that few forwards in the competition's history can match.
A Difficult Final Season
Salah's last campaign at Liverpool was, by his own elevated standards, turbulent. The 34-year-old reportedly struggled for regular playing time and, according to reports, fell out with then head coach Arne Slot before both parties agreed to bring his contract to an early conclusion. The mutual termination, while amicable in its framing, underlined that the relationship had run its natural course.
Trabzonspor: A Club With Ambitions to Match
Salah's destination is no ordinary mid-table club. Trabzonspor, based on Turkey's Black Sea coast, are seven-time Turkish league champions — six of those titles arriving during a dominant spell between 1976 and 1984. The club famously ended a 38-year wait for the Super Lig crown by winning the title in 2022, cementing their place among only six clubs in Turkish football history to have lifted the top-flight trophy.
The signing is widely regarded as one of the most significant transfers in the history of the Turkish Super Lig, giving Trabzonspor a player of genuine global stature as they target both domestic honours and a meaningful run in European competitions.
What This Means for Turkish Football
Salah's arrival in the Super Lig follows a broader pattern of established European stars choosing Turkey as a second chapter — a trend that has elevated the league's profile and commercial appeal considerably in recent seasons. For Trabzonspor, landing a forward with Salah's pedigree signals genuine ambition beyond the domestic calendar. Whether the 34-year-old can replicate his Premier League form in a different tactical environment will be the defining question of this move. His first full season in Turkey will offer an early answer.
Point of View
On a free transfer, the options were presumably plentiful — yet he has picked a club whose last league title came in 2022 and whose European record is modest. That either signals a genuine desire for a leadership role in a less pressurised environment, or a market that valued him less than his goal record suggests. The Turkish Super Lig gains enormously from this; whether Salah does is the open question. His reported falling-out with Arne Slot also deserves scrutiny — Liverpool's willingness to terminate a year early suggests the breakdown was significant, and that context matters for assessing how his Trabzonspor chapter begins.
NationPress
6 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Mohamed Salah leave Liverpool?
Salah and Liverpool mutually agreed to terminate his contract one year early, following the conclusion of the 2025-26 season. Reports indicate he struggled for regular playing time and fell out with head coach Arne Slot before both parties agreed to part ways.
What are Mohamed Salah's career statistics at Liverpool?
Salah scored 255 goals in 435 appearances for Liverpool, placing him third on the club's all-time scoring list. He won nine major trophies, including the UEFA Champions League, two Premier League titles, and four Premier League Golden Boots.
Who are Trabzonspor and why is this signing significant?
Trabzonspor are a seven-time Turkish Super Lig champions based on Turkey's Black Sea coast, most recently winning the title in 2022 after a 38-year wait. Salah's arrival is considered one of the biggest transfers in the history of the Turkish Super Lig.
How long is Salah's contract with Trabzonspor?
Salah has signed a two-year deal with Trabzonspor on a free transfer, with the contract running from the 2025-26 Turkish Super Lig season.
How does Salah's move fit the broader trend in Turkish football?
Salah's signing follows a pattern of established European stars choosing the Turkish Super Lig as a high-profile second chapter, a trend that has significantly raised the league's global profile and commercial value in recent seasons.
