Mohamed Salah to Trabzonspor: Contract, Why He Left Liverpool & the Champions League Question

Mohamed Salah's nine-year run at Liverpool is over, and in one of the more surprising moves of the summer, he's signed with Trabzonspor, a Turkish club that hasn't reached a European group stage in over a decade. Here's what's actually confirmed about the deal, why the exit happened, and whether this means Trabzonspor are now in the Champions League.

The Move, Confirmed

• March 2026Salah announces he'll leave Liverpool at the end of the season
• Early August 2026Trabzonspor announce talks with Salah
• Mid-August 2026Salah flies to Istanbul, then Trabzon, greeted by fans
• Days laterTwo-year contract signed and confirmed

Salah leaves Liverpool as the club's third-highest all-time goalscorer, with 257 goals in 442 appearances across nine seasons. His trophy haul at Anfield includes two Premier League titles, the Champions League, the FA Cup, two League Cups, the FIFA Club World Cup, and the UEFA Super Cup.

Why Did Salah Leave Liverpool?

The exit followed a difficult final season. Salah scored just 12 goals, a sharp drop from his usual output, and was dropped for three consecutive matches late in the campaign. He gave a pointed interview afterward accusing the club of throwing him "under the bus" during the team's poor run of results, and said publicly that his relationship with head coach Arne Slot had broken down entirely. Notably, this came less than 18 months after he'd signed a two-year contract extension in April 2025, at the peak of Liverpool's title-winning campaign. Liverpool and Salah ultimately agreed to end the contract a year early rather than let the situation drag into another season.

Contract & Money Details

Salah joins on a free transfer, since his Liverpool contract was mutually terminated rather than sold. Reports place his salary at roughly £15-17 million a year, a pay cut compared to his Liverpool wages and well below what Saudi Pro League clubs were reportedly offering. Turkey's more favorable income tax treatment for professional athletes narrows that gap in real terms. It's worth noting Liverpool had rejected a reported £150 million bid for Salah from Saudi club Al Ittihad less than three years ago, underlining how differently this chapter of his career has played out compared to what looked likely at his peak.

Is Trabzonspor in the Champions League?

No. This is the most common point of confusion following the transfer, and the answer is straightforward: Trabzonspor qualified for the UEFA Europa League playoffs by finishing third in the 2025-26 Süper Lig season, not the Champions League. Champions League qualification in Turkey is reserved for clubs finishing in the top one or two league positions, depending on the country's UEFA coefficient ranking that season. Trabzonspor last featured in a European group/league stage more than a decade ago, so European football at any level is itself a notable step up for the club, even without Champions League football specifically.

What This Means for Trabzonspor

Trabzonspor have won only one league title in 42 years and are generally regarded as Turkey's fourth-most popular club behind Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe, and Beşiktaş. Signing a player of Salah's global profile is described by football analysts as the biggest transfer in the club's history. It also raises a separate question mark over forward Paul Onuachu, who scored 22 goals in 30 league matches last season; Salah's arrival could make the club more open to selling him this window, though nothing has been confirmed on that front.

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