Did Mohamed Salah make a mistake choosing Trabzonspor?

Mohamed Salah has entered his new experience with Trabzonspor following a historic career with Liverpool, starting a different chapter in his career during the 2026-2027 season. Despite his rapid individual brilliance, the team's results so far raise questions about the success of this move on a collective level.

Individually, Mohamed Salah's start has been strong, as he scored four goals and assisted one during his first five matches in the Turkish league. He also received a rating of 8.6 in the fourth round, indicating his quick adaptation to the competition and his ability to maintain his scoring form despite moving to a new team and environment.

On a financial and fan level, Mohamed Salah has signed a two-year contract worth €17 million annually, in addition to receiving 20% of merchandise sales bearing his name. He was met with a large public and media reception in Trabzon, and his arrival contributed to an increase in ticket sales and jersey purchases. Salah also chose to remain in Europe despite huge offers from Saudi Arabia, as he wishes to maintain his competitive level.

Mohamed Salah's transfer to Trabzonspor comes after several other options fell through, most notably negotiations with Beşiktaş due to disagreements over certain financial and commercial terms. Meanwhile, major European interests, including Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus, did not reach a final agreement.

In the end, Trabzonspor's management succeeded in presenting an offer that combines high financial compensation and commercial benefits, along with granting him a pivotal role in the team's project, the number 10 shirt, and greater freedom in attacking movement.

However, the overall picture looks different, as Trabzonspor currently sits sixth with 7 points after 5 matches. They have also exited the UEFA Europa League qualifiers and moved on to the UEFA Europa Conference League.

The team is struggling with inconsistent results and some defensive issues, which were evident again during their recent loss to Konyaspor, despite Mohamed Salah playing the entire match.

The issue of harmony between Mohamed Salah and Nigerian striker Paul Onuachu remains one of the key tactical challenges, given the differing nature of their movements and the team's occasional reliance on long balls.

Compared to his historic period at Liverpool, where he won the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup, FA Cup, and EFL Cup, along with numerous individual awards and records, Salah's task at Trabzonspor appears different: his personal success was achieved quickly, but his ability to translate this brilliance into collective achievements will remain the most important test in the upcoming phase.