Besiktas halts talks with Mohamed Salah over financial demands

Egyptian superstar Mohamed Salah

ISTANBUL, July 28: Turkish giant Besiktas has temporarily paused negotiations with Egyptian superstar Mohamed Salah after financial issues stalled a potential move, despite talks reportedly reaching an advanced stage.

Besiktas sporting director Onder Ozen revealed that the club approached Salah after he departed from Liverpool, conducting an assessment of the deal’s economic impact and potential commercial benefits before formally entering discussions, according to the Anadolu Agency.

Salah had been strongly linked with a switch to the Istanbul club in recent weeks, with reports claiming Besiktas offered the 34-year-old a contract running until 2027, with an option for an additional year, including a salary of around €12 million.

“We contacted one of the biggest stars in world football, Mohamed Salah, and studied the possible financial returns of the deal. After determining that it would benefit the club, we began negotiations,” Ozen said.

He added that Besiktas held three meetings with Salah and that talks progressed positively before reaching the financial details.

“Salah is a global star and a respected athlete. Everything was moving smoothly until discussions turned to financial matters on July 21, when the pace of negotiations slowed,” Ozen explained.

The Besiktas official said additional demands later emerged that complicated the talks, suggesting that Salah himself may not have been aware of all the details, as players are not usually directly involved in such negotiations.