SerpApi.Org
"The Pharaoh" deal captures huge interest in Turkey
Events moved quickly inside the black-and-white household at Besiktas, with reports emerging that signing Mohamed Salah was no longer merely a sporting ambition. Senior figures in the Turkish state were now following the matter closely.
According to reports out of Turkey, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan intervened personally to get details of the deal. He asked Besiktas president Serdal Adali for extensive information on how negotiations with the Egyptian star were progressing. Erdogan is personally tracking Salah's proposed move to Besiktas.
High-Level Political Contacts
According to the Turkish newspaper "sozcu", Turkish President Erdogan has asked Besiktas president Serdal Adali for a full briefing so he can personally track the progress of negotiations with the Egyptian star.
Club officials reckon indirect government backing could open the door to clearing the enormous financial hurdles a deal of this size demands. Besiktas aren't just chasing domestic honours. They want continental dominance too.
The same newspaper reported that Turkish journalist and broadcaster Erdogan Aktas revealed in public comments that Egyptian striker Salah will land in Istanbul today, Wednesday, to put the finishing touches to his contract with Besiktas. Should it go through, the move would be the biggest transfer in the history of the Turkish league in terms of marketing and fan value.
Italian intervention to convince the Egyptian king
Besiktas didn't stop at administrative moves. Head coach Vincenzo Italiano threw his full weight behind the process of convincing Salah of his sporting project. According to the newspaper "Fanatik", the Italian coach held a special meeting with the Egyptian star to thrash out the fine technical details, including the team's structure and the style of play he intends to implement next season.
Italiano used those talks to explain how Salah would be the cornerstone of his attacking plans. He assured the winger that the club's ambition is to go as far as possible in European competition, a goal that chimes with the competitive mentality Salah honed on English pitches.
This was no mere introduction. The session touched on the club's future objectives and how to turn Besiktas into a striking force on the Old Continent, and the player grew increasingly drawn to a fresh challenge after years of brilliance in the Liverpool shirt.
The obstacle of the agent and the financial negotiations
Optimism ran high, but the talks ran into financial obstacles over the commission of agent Ramy Abbas. Sources say Besiktas president Serdal Adali has voiced strong reservations about the terms Abbas laid out.
Talks stalled earlier over the percentage demanded from the deal. Reports confirm the Besiktas president rejected the 35% asked for by the agent, branding it unacceptable under any circumstances. He even questioned whether Mohamed Salah grasped the scale of the figure being demanded as a personal commission for chasing his rights.
Besiktas want to bridge that gap. The Turkish club have sent Ramy Abbas an official invitation for a face-to-face meeting in Istanbul, hoping to thrash out the financial details and bring the percentage down in line with the club's budget and the wider circumstances.
Club chiefs are dangling a huge annual salary in front of the player. At the same time, they insist the agency fees stay within reasonable limits recognised across the game.
Uncertainty surrounds the rival offer and the future of the deal
Besiktas are still working to nail down the finer details, but reports have surfaced of traditional rivals Galatasaray trying to gatecrash the race. That has piled pressure on Adali's board to get the deal over the line as quickly as possible.
Salah's agent is said to have offered him to Galatasaray, yet sources close to the club deny any serious interest at this stage. It strengthens Besiktas's hand as the closest and only genuine destination in Turkey so far.
Expect things to move fast over the coming hours. Fans are waiting on an official announcement that could send follower counts soaring around the world. Reports suggest Salah could sign a one-year deal with the option of a second season, handing him plenty of flexibility over his sporting future while letting Besiktas make the most of him at his peak.
