Besiktas Pull the Plug on Mohamed Salah Swoop After Three Rounds of Secret Talks Hit Brick Wall

Turkish giants Besiktas have officially walked away from ambitious negotiations to sign Liverpool legend Mohamed Salah, revealing that three rounds of high-level meetings ended in a bitter deadlock over financial demands. The Egyptian superstar—now a free agent after mutually agreeing to rip up the final year of his contract on Merseyside—had been in line for a blockbuster move to Istanbul. However, senior figures at the Turkish club have confirmed that talks ground to a sudden halt after hitting an immovable object over contract terms, leaving the 34-year-old’s immediate future hanging in the balance.

The dramatic collapse in negotiations was laid bare by Besiktas director Onder Ozen, who disclosed that the club had engaged directly with Salah’s representatives on multiple occasions. Initial discussions were said to be entirely positive as both parties explored a prospective deal, including a custom financing model designed to bring one of world football’s biggest icons to the Super Lig. Besiktas president Serdal Adali had previously publicly admitted that the club was eagerly waiting on a final decision from the former Anfield hero. Yet, despite early momentum, the deal imploded the moment concrete financial figures were placed on the table, forcing the Turkish outfit to firmly draw a line in the sand.

‘Everything Was Smooth Until the Money Was Mentioned’

Speaking directly to Turkish media, Ozen shed light on how quickly the prospective transfer turned sour once numbers were brought into the equation. He praised the Egyptian international as a “global star and a respected athlete,” emphasizing that the early stages of dialogue had been conducted with complete mutual respect. However, the tone shifted dramatically as soon as formal financial requests began flying back and forth across the negotiating table, revealing a deep rift between the player’s wage expectations and the club’s strict financial guidelines.

“Up to this point, everything was smooth,” Ozen revealed when discussing the initial sit-downs with Salah’s team. “When the financial side began, the initial smoothness slowed down from July 21st onwards. Requests began to arrive that would both disrupt the flow of information and create a deadlock in the financial process. I can assume that a respected athlete like Salah was unaware of this.”

Ozen made it unequivocally clear that Besiktas would not be held to ransom or compromise their long-term financial stability to secure the forward’s signature, no matter how prestigious his resume might be. The director emphasized that the club operates under strict economic policies set directly by their president, and those boundaries would not be broken under any circumstances. While Besiktas insist their final proposal remains on the table should Salah’s camp choose to accept it, they have explicitly ruled out submitting an improved offer or engaging in further bidding wars.

MLS Temptation and Alternative Destinations

The sudden breakdown in Istanbul comes amidst heavy interest from across the globe, with Salah’s representatives actively exploring alternative options. Ozen hinted that the impasse was largely driven by competing interest from rival suitors, confirming that Salah’s camp had openly admitted to holding simultaneous negotiations with another club. This multi-front negotiation strategy appears to have created friction with Besiktas, who felt the demands being put forward were designed to stall their own progress while pushing for lucrative terms elsewhere.

Among the frontrunners vying for the iconic winger’s signature is Major League Soccer side Sporting Kansas City. The American outfit has put forward a lucrative two-year contract proposal in an attempt to lure the Premier League icon across the Atlantic. With Besiktas standing firm on their original take-it-or-leave-it offer, the ball is now squarely in Salah’s court as he assesses his options, with a move to North America looking increasingly plausible as the summer transfer window progresses.