Mohamed Salah was presented as a new Trabzonspor player in front of a packed house at the club's Papara Park stadium on Thursday night.
Earlier in the day, the club announced via its social media channels that the Egypt captain had signed a two-year deal to play in the Turkish Super Lig.
Fans were treated to a laser show with a giant image of Salah projected around the stadium before the man himself appeared alongside club president Ertugrul Dogan.
Salah greeted the fans in Turkish, and then added: “I wish I could speak more Turkish by now, but it is still very soon for me.
“The last couple of days, it's an experience I never had in my life. I just want to thank every one of you for being here today and yesterday. You showed me so much love and I never expected that reception.
“I am here to win. I want to win something with this club because you guys showed me so much love and I really, really appreciate that.
“I want to thank the president, of course, for making it happen. I am very happy to be here, and I can't wait to see you all in the pitch again.”
Salah, who was a free agent having left Liverpool at the end of last season, then took part in a ceremonial contract signing and did a lap of honour as the fans chanted his name.
With rumoured interest from the Saudi Pro League, MLS and Turkish football's traditional big three Istanbul sides, the move is a major coup for the Black Sea club.
Salah signs for Trabzonspor - in pictures
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Trabzonspor unveil new signing Mohamed Salah at Papara Park, Trabzon, Turkey. Reuters -
Salah takes photos of the crowd as they greet him. Reuters -
Salah waves from the pitch. Reuters -
A fan wears a nemes inside the stadium ahead of the unveiling of the Egyptian striker. Reuters -
Trabzonspor fans with a flare inside the stadium. Reuters -
A Trabzonspor fan wears a Mohamed Salah mask. Reuters -
Salah arrives in Turkey ahead of his move to Trabzonspor. Reuters -
Trabzonspor fans wait for the arrival of the former Liverpool star. Reuters -
Trabzonspor fans at the airport. Reuters -
Salah waves at fans as he arrives in Turkey. Reuters -
Salah will sign for the Turkish side after a successful World Cup with Egypt. Reuters -
He left Liverpool after a mutual agreement to end his contract. AFP -
A Trabzonspor supporter shows his excitement. AFP -
Salah was known as the 'Egyptian king' at Liverpool. AFP -
Fans wait at Trabzon Airport. AFP -
Mohamed Salah is accompanied by Trabzonspor President Ertugrul Dogan as he arrives in the Black Sea city of Trabzon. Reuters -
Salah will join Trabzonspor on a free transfer. AFP -
He will sign a two-year contract, with an official ceremony due to take place soon. EPA
Trabzonspor – generally considered to be the fourth-biggest club in Turkey after Fenerbahce, Galatasaray, and Besiktas – finished third in the Super Lig last season and will enter the Europa League play-off round. They also lifted the 2026 Turkish Cup. Their last league championship came in the 2021/22 season.
In recent years they have welcomed a few big names in European football, including the former Napoli midfielder and Slovakia international Marek Hamsik and Salah's former Liverpool teammate Daniel Sturridge, who scored seven goals in 16 games during the 2019/20 campaign.
That said, Salah is by far and away the biggest signing in the club's history.
The forward had been close to joining their Super Lig rivals Besiktas, but negotiations broke down last week over financial and image rights demands, according to local media reports.
Besiktas board member Onder Ozen said the gap between the two parties had proved insurmountable.
Details of Salah's Trabzonspor contract have yet to be divulged. However, reports suggest a two-year contract with an annual salary of €17 million, a €5-million signing bonus and 20 per cent of the revenue from shirt sales bearing his name.
The veteran forward makes the move following a successful summer with his national team, having helped Egypt reach the last 16 in a record-breaking run at the 2026 World Cup in North America.
Salah captained the Pharaohs in a history-making performance that saw them win a World Cup game, qualify from the group stage and win a knockout stage match, all for the first time.
Salah left Liverpool in June after nine years, having scored 257 goals in 442 appearances and won the Premier League twice and the Champions League once. He sits in third place on the Merseyside club's all-time list of goalscorers behind only Roger Hunt and Ian Rush.
In the 2024-25 season, Salah scored 29 Premier League goals and provided 18 assists, equalling the league record for most goal involvements in a single season and setting the record for a 38-game campaign.
He was named Premier League player of the season and won the golden boot and the playmaker award, becoming the first player to take all three in a single campaign.
His output waned significantly last season, though, with just seven goals and seven assists in 27 league matches. He was left on the bench in Champions League games, leading to a very public spat with manager Arne Slot. The Dutchman was sacked after the team limped home in fifth place and was replaced by the Spanish coach Andoni Iraola.
Salah started his career in Europe at Swiss side Basel in 2012 and later joined Chelsea. He also had brief stints at Fiorentina and AS Roma between 2015 and 2017 before joining Liverpool.
