•Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah gestures as he arrives at Istanbul Ataturk Airport to complete his transfer to Turkish football club Trabzonspor in Istanbul, today
Former Liverpool star Mohamed Salah arrived in Istanbul today to complete his move to Turkish club Trabzonspor after leaving the Premier League giants at the end of his contract.
“Salah mode: ON,” Trabzonspor posted on social media alongside photos of the 34-year-old Egyptian aboard a private jet wearing the team’s blue and maroon home shirt.
The club from Turkey’s northeast announced yesterday that they had begun “negotiations” with Salah, who left Liverpool after nine seasons and as many trophies with the Reds.
He landed at around 0900 GMT in Istanbul, where he was greeted by hundreds of ecstatic supporters, reports AFP.
“I’m here straight after my night shift, and now for Mohamed Salah, I am ready to spend another sleepless night,” Trabzonspor supporter Abdul Kerim Yervan told our correspondent.
Salah is due to undergo a medical today in Istanbul before flying to Trabzon later in the day.
The right winger, who is set to sign a two-season contract with an option for a third, will earn 17 million euros ($19.6 million) a year, according to several Turkish media outlets.
Salah netted 257 goals for Liverpool in 442 appearances in all competitions, making him the third top goalscorer in the club’s history.
He also scored 193 Premier League goals, 191 of them for the Reds, putting him fourth in the all-time list behind English trio Alan Shearer, Harry Kane and Wayne Rooney.
Salah was far from his best in a struggling Liverpool team last term, scoring only seven times in the league.
He last played at the World Cup, helping Egypt reach the last 16 for the first time since 1934 before they blew a two-goal lead to suffer an agonising loss to eventual runners-up Argentina.
Salah had also been linked with Trabzonspor’s Super Lig rivals Besiktas.
Trabzonspor finished third in the Turkish top flight last season, nine points clear of Besiktas, to qualify for the Europa League play-off round.
Salah has scored 66 goals in 119 international appearances for Egypt and is one of the most successful African players in history.
