Mohamed Salah: How 'illegal' demands derails move to Turkey

Besiktas have officially withdrawn from the race to sign free agent Mohamed Salah following complications regarding financial demands from the player's representatives.

The Turkish club had been actively linked with the 34-year-old Egyptian forward, who departed Liverpool this summer after a nine-year tenure.

Besiktas sporting director Onder Ozen addressed the media to clarify the club's position regarding the transfer pursuit.

The Turkish side had reportedly reached an initial agreement with the forward concerning a wage package in the region of €12.5 million annually.

However, the transfer stalled when discussions shifted towards secondary financial details and agent remuneration.

"For a while now, speculation about Mohamed Salah has increased. The matter has been discussed from every angle. There are things we want to clarify regarding it," Ozen stated.

"We made contact with Salah. That also included a model for financing the deal," he added.

According to reports, the complications stemmed from disputes over the share of revenue from shirt sales and commission requests made by Salah's agent.

Ozen noted that the negotiations deteriorated once these specific financial elements were introduced.

"When talk of the financial side began, that smoothness which had been there on the first day started to slow down as of 21 July," Ozen explained.

"Requests began to arrive that would drive the flow of information and the financial side into a dead end."

The sporting director indicated that the commission requests exceeded legal parameters, prompting the club to step away from the deal.

"Working in the field of player management is legal, and there is a legal value for the commission, and exceeding it may involve an illegal situation," Ozen added.

"When it comes to Besiktas, not entering into such a situation is also among the requirements of belonging to the club."

Besiktas club executives reportedly made the final decision to halt the pursuit to protect their financial structure.

"The president has taken an unpopular decision and has decided to withdraw temporarily from the negotiating table in the Salah deal," Ozen concluded, per Goal.

The collapse of the transfer leaves Salah unattached following his departure from Anfield.

During his time at Liverpool, the forward secured numerous major honours, including two Premier League titles (2019/20 and 2024/25) and the UEFA Champions League (2018/19).