Trabzonspor have denied claims that the club has reached a deal to sign Mohamed Salah, despite rising speculation about the Egyptian international’s future.
Rumours spread over the weekend that Trabzonspor were close to hijacking Besiktas’ pursuit of the former Liverpool forward, with sources claiming he may even be introduced during the club’s 59th anniversary festivities.
Trabzonspor president Ertuğrul Doğan has refuted any agreement and said there are no urgent intentions to transfer Salah to the Turkish club.
In an interview with Turkish TV A Spor, Doğan referred to the allegations as incorrect and stated that the club will only announce true developments through official means.
“There is no such agreement,” Doğan said. “As for plans to bring him to Trabzon, there is no such plan; there is nothing to it.”
“If there were such a plan, information would be provided from our side, the press would be informed, and so on. There is no such thing.”
The Trabzonspor manager admitted Salah is a player that any team would be interested in signing, but insisted that conversations had not culminated in an agreement.
“Salah is a very professional, highly successful player known worldwide. He is one of the players with the best careers out there. Of course, who wouldn’t want Salah? That is a separate matter.”
Doğan did not disclose conversations with the Egyptian forward, but promised to keep supporters updated on any progress.
“I don’t want to talk about this. Of course, the fans want to see a player like Salah, and so do I.”
“There’s no agreement, no planned trip. We will inform our community and our fans as soon as there is a development.”
The Trabzonspor president reiterated his position during the club’s anniversary celebrations, claiming that reports of ongoing negotiations were false.
Salah became a free agent after leaving Liverpool at the end of last season, after an eight-year trophy-laden tenure at Anfield during which he scored over 250 goals and won the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, FA Cup, two League Cups, UEFA Super Cup, and FIFA Club World Cup.
While Trabzonspor has ruled themselves out for the time being, Turkish rivals Besiktas have acknowledged talks with the 34-year-old but have declared that they will not increase their existing offer.