Mohamed Salah Handed Ultimatum by Club President, Rival MLS ‘Proposal’ Emerges

A clock has been put on Salah’s decision while he weighs up offers from Europe and outside the continent.

Mohamed Salah is still a free agent. | Catherine Ivill/AMA/Getty Images

Beşiktaş president Serdal Adalı has revealed that Mohamed Salah has already been presented with the final offer he will receive from the Turkish side and is expected to deliver a swift response.

Salah has been linked with a number of clubs since he agreed an early termination to his Liverpool contract last season. After helping Egypt reach the World Cup quarterfinals, strong rumors of a move to the Saudi Pro League were replaced with reported interest from Türkiye.

Adalı took the unorthodox approach of going public with precisely where negotiations with Salah were at in a public statement released to Turkish outlet Orta Çizgi.

“As has been reported in the media, we have been holding discussions with the player and his agent for some time now, covering all the details of the transfer,” Adalı is quoted as saying on Monday morning.

“Most recently, after thoroughly negotiating the request submitted to us from all angles, we conveyed our final official offer to the player’s side. We also made it clear that we expect them to inform us of their decision shortly.

“While our transfer efforts continue at full speed, this is the current status regarding Salah. Since the initial discussions, we have evaluated all requested increases and adjustments within the framework of Beşiktaş’ interests and presented our final offer. The decision now rests with the player’s side, and we have informed them that we expect a response shortly.”

---

Salah’s ‘Lucrative’ MLS Offer

Mohamed Salah enjoyed his World Cup swan song. | Hector Vivas/FIFA/Getty Images

The major complication to Beşiktaş’ negotiations with Salah appears to have taken the form of MLS side Sporting Kansas City. The ambitious MLS franchise has offered the 34-year-old winger a two-year contract which has been described as “lucrative” by the Daily Mail.

Salah was one of the highest paid players across the entire Premier League after signing his bumper extension with Liverpool in 2024. Yet, he gave up the last year of that contract to pursue a new challenge which would entitle him to guaranteed minutes. Reports claim that Salah has even lowered his salary demands during negotiations with Beşiktaş.

It’s been a turbulent few years for the Istanbul club. Adalı is the third permanent president in as many years, while there have been six different head coaches during that spell.

The highly rated Italian manager Vincenzo Italiano was appointed in June to offer some stability to a side which finished fourth in the Turkish top flight last term. There are still multiple rounds of Europa League qualifying for Beşiktaş to navigate to ensure any continental action is contested on the European shore of the Bosphorus strait in the coming campaign.

Sporting KC naturally can’t offer the same level of competition as a team that could be competing in UEFA competition, but MLS has been accepted as a significant enough platform for a glut of aging stars. Antoine Griezmann, Robert Lewandowski and Casemiro have all taken their talents Stateside this summer after Lionel Messi inspired an influx of veteran additions in 2023.

---