Mohamed Salah looks set to miss out on a move to Besiktas despite holding three transfer talks with the Turkish giants. The former Liverpool winger left Anfield at the end of last season, a year before his contract expired, and is currently looking for a new club. He has been rumored to have a number of potential suitors, with the Saudi Professional League emerging as one of them.
Salah also has offers from Besiktas, with sporting director Onder Ozen revealing they are interested in signing the Egyptian forward on a free transfer. They have reportedly been in contact with the forward’s camp and held three discussions about potential contract terms. However, those negotiations have now broken down.
Ozen explained that Besiktas had withdrawn the transfer, pointing to the fact that Salah and his agent are believed to be currently negotiating with rival clubs.
“We approached Salah, and this also had to do with the funding model. Salah is a global star and a respected athlete,” he said.
“We met with Mr Salah three times before discussing the financial aspects of the negotiations. Up until this point everything had been going well.
“When the financial side started, the initial smoothness slowed down after July 21. Requests began to arrive that disrupted the flow of information and caused an impasse in the financial process.
“It can be assumed that a respected athlete like Salah did not know about this. The club has a policy and cannot deviate from that policy.”
“Our president has made his position very clear and he remains there. I have no chance to say yes or no. It is clear that the offer was made on Besiktas’ own terms.”
“If there is a response to this offer, it will be evaluated, but Besiktas will not make a new offer.
“They said that they are also negotiating with other clubs, and perhaps we will get a result from there. The last offer we made for Salah is the last point that does not damage Besiktas’ club identity.”
Salah’s departure from Liverpool left many supporters scratching their heads, especially considering he had only put pen to paper on a two-year contract extension with the club in April of the previous year.
Now without a club, his next destination is still up in the air.
Either way, the Egyptian winger is regarded as a true Anfield icon, winning two Premier League titles and the Champions League trophy with the Reds during his incredible nine-year spell at the club.
With 257 goals and 123 assists in 442 games across all competitions, he will forever be regarded as one of the most lethal forwards to ever grace the famous Kop end.
