Mohamed Salah has announced his arrival in the Turkish Super Lig in emphatic fashion, scoring a match-winning brace on his first start for Trabzonspor to secure a 2-1 victory over Istanbul Basaksehir. The 34-year-old Egyptian winger delivered the exact moment of quality his new club had envisioned when securing his signature, driving Fatih Tekke’s side to three vital domestic points. Having traded Merseyside for Trabzon earlier this month, the veteran forward wasted little time establishing his influence at his new home.
Salah’s decisive display comes directly on the heels of a fiery debut from the bench against Kasimpasa, where he entered as a 58th-minute substitute for Metehan Mimaroglu in a 1-1 draw. Greeting a hostile away crowd, the Egyptian immediately demonstrated his signature threat down the right wing, beating both Jakob Jessen and Matei Ilie with a marauding run before cutting onto his left foot to set up former Southampton striker Paul Onuachu. That brief cameo provided a preview of what was to come, with his full start against Basaksehir serving as the true opening act of his Turkish campaign.
The move marks the end of an extraordinary era at Liverpool, where Salah spent nine highly successful years collecting two Premier League titles and lifting the UEFA Champions League in 2019. Following a challenging 2025-26 season, a mutual agreement was reached to terminate his Anfield contract one year early. While persistent interest from Saudi Pro League suitors and Major League Soccer clubs dominated headlines, and quiet murmurs of a romantic return to Roma surfaced, Salah chose a fresh challenge in Turkey by signing a two-year contract reported to be worth $19.6 million annually.
In joining Trabzonspor, Salah aligns himself with a club eager to shatter the traditional dominance of Istanbul heavyweights Galatasaray and Fenerbahce. The seven-time Super Lig champions finished third last term and lifted the Turkish Cup, earning a spot in the upcoming Europa League campaign. His arrival brings invaluable elite experience to a squad aiming to replicate their 2021-22 league triumph. Meanwhile, his former club Liverpool navigated their own new beginning without him, as manager Andoni Iraola secured a debut point in a dramatic 2-2 draw at Newcastle United courtesy of a late Dominik Szoboszlai penalty after Lewis Hall fouled Victor Munoz, spoiling Matthias Jaissle’s managerial debut for the Magpies.
