Deal beyond football: Mohamed Salah at Trabzonspor boosts tourism and Türkiye's economy

Turkish club Trabzonspor has officially announced the signing of Egyptian star Mohamed Salah on a free transfer, after the expiry of the player's contract with English Premier League club Liverpool.

Salah's move to the Turkish Süper Lig is one of the most high-profile transfers in the competition's history, given the player's considerable quality on the pitch and huge popularity among fans.

Salah's contract with Trabzonspor runs for two years, until the summer of 2028. According to the details released, he will earn an annual salary of 17 million euros per season, making him the highest-paid player in the Turkish top flight.

The deal also includes additional financial benefits. Salah will receive 20% of the profits from the sale of products and shirts bearing his name, along with bonuses and incentives linked to specific sporting targets during his time at the club, bringing the total cost of the deal to 34 million euros.

Trabzonspor's management is banking on Salah's vast experience and global appeal to strengthen the team's position domestically and in Europe, at a time when the arrival of one of the world's leading footballers is seen as a major boost to the Turkish league both in sporting and commercial terms.

A new chapter

"Egyptian king" Salah, who will wear the number 10 shirt at Trabzonspor, stressed his desire to keep winning silverware in this new chapter of his career, saying: "Wherever I go, I win something, or I try to win something. I hope we can achieve great things in the league, and in European competitions as well."

Over the course of his career Salah has already played in several countries, starting in Egypt before moving to Switzerland, Italy and England, prior to joining the Turkish league, making this his fifth different domestic competition as a professional.

Salah arrives at Trabzonspor after an exceptional spell with Liverpool, where he scored 257 goals in 442 games for the club and helped them win two Premier League titles as well as the Champions League.

Although his final season with Liverpool fell short of the level fans had grown used to, that did not diminish his standing with the club's supporters, who retained their appreciation for what he had given them over so many years.

Trabzonspor hopes that Salah's arrival will give the team a major push in domestic and European competition. The club, which last lifted the Turkish league title in 2022, is regarded as the leading challenger outside Istanbul to the country's three traditional heavyweights: Galatasaray, Fenerbahce and Besiktas.

Besiktas offer rejected

Salah, who is 34, accepted Trabzonspor's offer after earlier talks with Besiktas, who had hoped to secure the Egyptian's signature even though their financial proposal was lower than the one from Trabzon.

According to the information circulating, Besiktas proposed a one-year contract with an option to extend for a further season (1+1), with an annual salary estimated at between 12 and 15 million euros, plus performance-related bonuses that could have raised the overall value of the deal to around 19 or 20 million euros a year if the targets were met.

The main difference between Besiktas's offer and the others, especially that of Trabzonspor, lay in the value of the guaranteed salary. Besiktas relied more heavily on a system of bonuses and incentives, whereas Trabzonspor offered a higher fixed wage with additional marketing perks.

Besiktas had been counting in the talks on the club's reputation and fan base compared with Trabzonspor, with the black-and-white side considered one of Turkey's most successful and decorated clubs, ahead of the northern outfit.

The negotiations with Besiktas were later halted after the club's management concluded that the overall cost of the deal, including wages, commissions and bonuses, exceeded their financial ceiling, with some reports putting the required commitments at more than 40 million euros.

Even though Besiktas withdrew from the talks, their interest in Mohamed Salah underlined the scale of their ambition to recruit a global star capable of enhancing the team's sporting and commercial value, amid fierce competition between Turkey's major clubs to bolster their presence on the European stage.

The 'Mohamed Salah effect'

The impact of Salah's move to Trabzonspor has not been limited to the pitch. It has quickly spread to the commercial and fan side too, with the club seeing a sharp rise in demand for shirts and season tickets since the deal was announced.

According to Turkish press reports, Salah's arrival has sparked huge excitement among Trabzonspor fans. So far, the club has sold around 15,000 shirts bearing the Egyptian's name, with expectations that the figure will rise to about 25,000 once all pending orders from supporters are fulfilled.

Salah's presence has also been reflected in season-ticket sales. The club has reported strong demand for season tickets, which have reached around 17,000 before the start of the new campaign, a clear indication of the pull generated by the transfer.

These figures show that the signing of the Egypt captain represents a major economic and marketing gain for Trabzonspor, in addition to his value on the field, capitalising on the global popularity Salah built up during his illustrious spell with Liverpool.

The Turkish club's management is banking on Salah to give the team a strong boost on both the sporting and commercial fronts, by increasing attendances and strengthening the club's brand, especially as he is one of the world's biggest football stars.

From Cairo to Trabzon

In parallel, Turkish Airlines has announced the launch of direct flights linking Cairo and the city of Trabzon, with the first services set to take off on 11 August.

According to the Turkish newspaper "kuzeyekspres", the new air route aims to accommodate the expected demand from Egyptian fans keen to follow their number one star up close.

The newspaper added that the move comes "in recognition of the exceptional status that Mohamed Salah enjoys among Egyptian and Arab fans, and with the aim of facilitating travel and allowing as many of his admirers as possible to visit his new home".

It noted that, as part of tourism initiatives being implemented in the city, charter flights between Cairo and Trabzon have begun, with the first direct charter service arriving on Thursday carrying 120 passengers.

One of the top tourist destinations

Trabzon is considered one of Turkey's most important and prominent tourist destinations, especially for visitors from the Middle East and the Gulf.

The city draws its touristic appeal from its combination of lush green mountain landscapes, sea views and a rich history that goes back thousands of years.

According to figures from the provincial directorate of culture and tourism in Trabzon, the city welcomed around 1,447 million visitors, both domestic and foreign, including about 808,000 international tourists, marking growth of 14% compared with the previous year, when the number of foreign visitors stood at around 711,000.

Trabzon enjoys great popularity among Arab tourists, particularly those coming from Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. This group represents a key part of the region's tourist traffic, supported by the expansion of direct flights with a number of Arab cities.

The city attracts visitors thanks to its natural and historical landmarks, notably the Sumela Monastery, which recorded more than 514,000 visits, and the village and lake of Uzungol, which received more than 115,000 visitors during the first months of the season, as well as other sites such as the Ataturk Museum and Mansion and the Cal Cave.

Air traffic and the hotel sector in Trabzon see intense activity during the summer season, with the city's airport handling between 24 and 35 international flights a day at peak times, while hotel occupancy rates in the city centre and the Uzungol area exceed 90%.

With Salah's move to Trabzonspor now confirmed, the city is expecting a new wave of visitors, particularly Egyptian and Arab fans keen to follow the player, something that could further strengthen Trabzon's status as a destination that combines tourism and sport.

The mayor's offer

The mayor of Arakli, a district in Turkey's Trabzon province, took advantage of Salah's presence in the city to offer him a plot of land in the area, saying it would be one of the best places to live in the future.

Speaking to Salah, the mayor said that living conditions in some regions could become more difficult in the coming years, while Arakli, he argued, stands out as a suitable place to live and is less affected by the consequences of climate change.

He added: "We would like to offer Mohamed Salah a beautiful plot of land here and provide him with a special place where he can live with his children and grandchildren, without any problems related to water."

Betting on the Egyptian market

Egyptian tourists are part of the incoming tourism flow to Turkey, although their numbers do not put them among the country's 10 largest tourist markets. The Egyptian market is classified as one of the key Arab and regional markets, particularly for Turkish cities that attract Arab visitors.

Estimates indicate that the number of Egyptian tourists visiting Turkey ranges annually between 180,000 and 230,000, with gradual growth recorded in recent years, driven by the easing of some visa procedures and the development of economic and trade relations between the two countries.

Despite this presence, Turkey's main tourism markets remain countries such as Russia, Germany, the United Kingdom, Bulgaria and Iran, which each send millions of visitors every year. By contrast, the Egyptian market is one of Turkey's most important Arab markets in North Africa.

Travel facilitations, including electronic visas for some categories, have helped boost movement between the two countries, alongside the availability of direct flights linking Egyptian cities, especially Cairo and Alexandria, to Turkey via Turkish Airlines, EgyptAir and other carriers.

However, the benefits of Salah's transfer do not appear to be limited to the player or Trabzonspor alone. Turkey itself is also looking to capitalise on the global profile of the Egyptian star to strengthen its sporting and tourism footprint.

The presence of a player with such widespread popularity in the Arab world and in various international markets could increase the attractiveness of the Turkish league and draw more fans, visitors and sports-related investment.

At the same time, the increase in flights from Egypt and the expected rise in demand for the city of Trabzon represent an opportunity to boost the tourism and services sector, making Salah's move a deal that goes beyond football to become an economic and promotional gain for Turkey.

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