Mohamed Salah’s lawyer, Ramy Abass, has publicly pushed back against reports that his client is close to joining Turkish club Besiktas. It’s the kind of denial that leaves more questions than answers — and maybe that’s the point.
Journalist Santi Aouna reported over the weekend that Besiktas had reached a verbal agreement with the former Liverpool star. The deal, according to Aouna, was a one-year contract with an option for another year, worth around €12 million including bonuses. But Abass took to X with a pretty direct response.
“I personally do not know where Mohamed will play next season. What does that tell you?” he wrote.
That’s not a flat denial of any contact with Besiktas. It’s more of a “slow down, everyone.” Abass is basically saying the story got ahead of itself. And in the world of soccer transfers, that happens all the time.
What the Turkish Reports Actually Say
Turkish journalist Yagiz Sabuncouglu, who has a decent track record on these things, backed up part of Aouna’s story. He confirmed that talks between Salah’s camp and Besiktas are happening. But he also noted that they’re still negotiating key details — contract length and image rights specifically. So the deal isn’t done, not even close.
Besiktas has been active this summer. They already brought in Leandro Trossard from Arsenal, and they’re clearly trying to close the gap on Galatasaray in the Turkish league. Adding a player of Salah’s caliber would be a huge statement. But signing a 34-year-old who just left Liverpool under messy circumstances is a different kind of gamble.
Salah announced his departure from Liverpool back in March after a falling out with then-manager Arne Slot. He’s been linked to MLS too — Sporting Kansas City reportedly kicked the tires on a move. But nothing concrete has materialized there either.
The Verdict? Still Murky
So where does this leave things? In limbo, mostly. Abass’s statement doesn’t rule out Besiktas. It just pushes back on the idea that anything is locked in. For now, Salah’s future is a question mark with a few possible answers. And his lawyer seems perfectly fine leaving it that way.
Besiktas fans might be disappointed. But if there’s one thing we know about transfer windows, it’s that “verbal agreements” can disappear as fast as they appear. The real deal — if it happens — will show up on paper. Until then, take everything with a grain of salt.
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