Reports: Mohamed Salah Nears Turkish Club Besiktas Move

Egyptian football icon Mohamed Salah has reportedly reached an "agreement in principle" to join Turkish club Besiktas. This comes after his decision to leave Liverpool, with Besiktas hoping to complete the transfer in the coming days.

Liverpool announced earlier this year that Salah would leave Anfield. The club allowed him to shorten his contract by one year so he could take on a new challenge. While many expected him to move to the Saudi Pro League or Major League Soccer, Turkish journalist Yagiz Sabuncuoglu recently reported that Besiktas made a strong move for the star.

Sabuncuoglu reported: ‘Beşiktaş made the first offer to Salah. Salah, who initially demanded an annual salary of 15 million euros (around 25.6 billion Korean won), lowered his salary expectations for the transfer to Beşiktaş. The player’s lawyer has arrived in Istanbul.’

He added: ‘Beşiktaş has reached an agreement with Mohamed Salah on financial terms. Negotiations are currently ongoing regarding the contract duration and image rights.’

Following these reports, Besiktas released a strong statement to deny the claims, wanting to keep their negotiations private.

Besiktas’ statement read: ‘The content posted by Yağız Saffunçuoğlu, a journalist, regarding the digital transfer process and transfer conditions discussed by our club is entirely fictional.

‘The individual has long been spreading reports fabricated at their desk, unrelated to the facts, regarding our club’s transfer procedures, and has been openly misleading the public.

‘As we have previously stated, the most accurate and transparent information regarding our team’s transfer procedures is shared with fans and the public through our official communication channels. We once again respectfully request that you do not trust any information or reports not announced through our official channels.’

To clarify the situation, football expert Fabrizio Romano explained that the club's denial is normal practice before a deal is officially signed.

Fabrizio Romano said on his YouTube channel: “Why did Beşiktaş deny the rumors with an official statement? Because Salah’s deal hasn’t been completed yet. Before an agreement is finalised, clubs must exercise caution—completely understandable. Beşiktaş is indeed pursuing Salah’s transfer, and they did make an offer.

“However, we must await an official agreement before confirmation. We’re waiting for the next steps. Salah has also received offers from MLS and Saudi clubs, so Beşiktaş is maintaining discretion until reaching a comprehensive agreement.”

Besiktas Confident in Securing a Three-Year Deal for Salah

Despite the club's official statement, Italian journalist Nicolo Schira reports that Besiktas is very close to securing Salah's signature on a multi-year deal.

Schira posted on X: ‘Mohamed #Salah is getting closer to #Besiktas as a free agent. Agreement in principle for a contract until 2027 (12M/year) + option for 2028. Coach #Italiano is pushing hard to convince Salah to join Besiktas, which are confident to finalize the deal in the next days. #transfers.’

In addition to Salah, Besiktas might also sign another former Liverpool forward. Reports suggest that Darwin Nunez could be on his way to Istanbul on a loan deal.

Reporter Sacha Tavolieri wrote on X: ‘BREAKING Darwin Núñez is edging closer to an agreement with Beşiktaş over a loan move until the end of the season. More to follow #mercato #BJK.’