Let's not kid ourselves: Mohamed Salah left for the money. He could have earned even more in Saudi Arabia, but financially he has still done phenomenally well at Trabzon. At the same time, he has remained in European football. On top of that, he is in a Muslim country. Even when the Saudis were prepared to move heaven and earth to sign the best Arab player to ever kick a football, Salah was guided by footballing considerations and went on to make history at Liverpool. Let's also be honest about this: a 34-year-old Salah would be the best player at a club like Juventus, Milan or Inter if he had accepted a salary three times lower than the one he will receive at Trabzon. We are talking about a player who finished fourth in the voting for the world's best player last season. Had he stayed at Liverpool, he would probably have continued producing at least double figures in both goals and assists. He chose Turkey, a destination that is selected far less frequently. What is an even bigger surprise than Salah's choice is Trabzon's ability to pull off such a huge deal.pic.twitter.com/aYCshn5Dt6— Mohamed Salah (@MoSalah) August 6, 2026 Salah will earn a guaranteed 17 million euros net in his first season. Trabzon announced today that the Egyptian's annual salary will be 10 million net, plus a 14 million signing bonus, which differs from the figures circulating in the media yesterday. There are also easily achievable bonuses that could push his annual earnings above 20 million euros, as well as "minor privileges" such as a villa and three cars, along with significant percentages from shirt sales and image rights. The final negotiations revolved precisely around the shirt-sales clause. At Salah's 17 million net salary, the state will take around 40 percent in tax, meaning the Egyptian will cost Trabzon approximately 57 million euros gross over two years before performance bonuses. Following various tax scandals involving Turkish clubs in previous years, the authorities have tightened the rules, meaning signing bonuses, salary bonuses and image rights are now taxed in the same way. The signing bonus, or "money in hand", is divided and taxed in several installments to help the club's liquidity. If Salah achieves all his bonuses, Trabzon's bill will increase by another 16.5 million, plus a 3.5 million agent commission. Altogether, that comes to around 76 million euros over two years.Turkey shaken, Pharaoh has landed – Salah wears Trabzon jersey!Salah probably wouldn't even have considered joining another English club. He has already experienced Italy, while Roma and Fiorentina are no longer realistic options. The Spanish market has only three clubs capable of financing an operation of this scale, and all three already have their positions well covered. German clubs, meanwhile, generally don't embark on such expensive adventures with players who have entered their thirties. Harry Kane was an exception. And that is where the Turks come in. Turkish clubs have shaken up the transfer market. Galatasaray have completed major deals for Osimhen, Sane, Gundogan and others over the past two years. Fenerbahçe have signed Ederson, Skriniar, Kante, Guendouzi and Greenwood, while Beşiktaş have splashed out on Immobile, Abraham and Trossard. Trabzon, formally a member of Turkey's "big four" but financially well behind the Istanbul giants, had tried to remain competitive with signings such as Stefan Savic and Andre Onana. And then they caused an earthquake with Salah.Mohamed Salah, evimiz Papara Park’ta 👑🔥 pic.twitter.com/3PY16cgr29— Trabzonspor (@Trabzonspor) August 6, 2026 Many are asking: How can they afford it, and where does the money come from? The Black Sea club relies on a fan base that is smaller — estimates put it at around six million supporters worldwide, compared with approximately 33 million for Galatasaray, 30 million for Fenerbahce and 15 million for Besiktas — but in some respects more loyal and fanatical. Official financial figures show that Trabzon earned 15 million from shirt and merchandise sales last year, 12 million the year before and eight million euros the year before that. In ordinary seasons, the club sells between 100,000 and 150,000 shirts, while in its championship-winning season five years ago it sold around 200,000. Now the plan is to push those boundaries through Salah's arrival. According to Turkish media reports, Trabzon has already ordered 250,000 shirts bearing Salah's name for the first wave of euphoria alone. The ultimate target is to sell one million shirts worldwide within a year. That is why the negotiations over the distribution of shirt-sale revenue lasted so long.Trabzonspor an unexpected winner in Salah battleTrabzon also agreed to Salah's demands in this area. Reportedly, the player will receive 100 percent of shirt-sale revenue in the Arab world, Trabzon will receive a larger share of sales in Western Europe, where there is a large Turkish diaspora, while sales in Turkey itself will be split 75–25 in favour of the club. Once all costs, the deal with manufacturer Homa and Salah's share are deducted, Trabzon should be left with around 24 in net revenue from every shirt sold in Turkey. Suddenly, the calculation based on one million shirts makes sense — if they are genuinely capable of achieving it. Apart from its supporters, Trabzon also relies on sponsors, who have stepped in with additional funding for this particular operation, as well as good work in the transfer market.##EDITORS_CHOICE##Trabzonspor does not receive direct "state funding", because professional football clubs in Turkey operate as independent entities. However, like other Turkish clubs, it benefits significantly from indirect financial mechanisms backed by the state, corporate sponsorships linked to government interests and political intervention. To finance major signings and maintain liquidity, Turkish clubs rely heavily on lucrative sponsorship agreements with state-owned companies and businesses under state control. In Trabzon's case, this includes agreements with national airline Turkish Airlines and Turkish electric-vehicle manufacturer Togg, both of which have state backing. Turkish football clubs have faced enormous financial difficulties for years, carrying debts denominated in foreign currencies amid the depreciation of the Turkish lira. The Turkish Banks Association, led by institutions such as Ziraat Bank, has helped them restructure their huge debts. A stadium project such as Trabzon's Papara Park was not financed directly from the club's own accounts. It was built on land renovated by the state and constructed through a government agency. The stadium was subsequently leased to the club under highly favourable public-sector terms.##NAJAVA_MECA_9883887##Trabzon earns between 15 million and 20 million euros annually from sponsorships. Finally, unlike the "big three" Istanbul clubs, Trabzon also prides itself on its transfer policy. For example, young midfielder Christ Inao Oulai arrived from Bastia last summer for 5.5 million and has recently been sold to Fiorentina for a guaranteed 26 million plus bonuses and 30 percent of any future transfer fee. Felipe Augusto was bought from Cercle Brugge last summer for four million and sold to Zenit this summer for 16 million plus four million euros in bonuses. Trabzon have a positive transfer balance this June, which is unusual for one of Turkey's major clubs. When everything is added together, Trabzon had a solid foundation from which to launch its "transfer of the century" and bring in Salah. We will soon see the impact both on and off the pitch. Judging by the first images coming from this part of the country, the Egyptian's arrival could prove to be a very profitable investment for Trabzonspor.