Edited by Michael Ingbian
Edited by Paul Elegbeleye | Photo: Bryan Berlin / WikiPortraits, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Mohamed Salah has been a free agent since his Liverpool contract expired at the end of June, and for a while it looked like his next chapter had already been decided.
Besiktas wanted him, the wages were agreed upon, the player himself was reportedly on board… But somehow, the deal that seemed all but done suddenly started to fall through, not over football but over money that has nothing to do with Salah’s own pocket.
DONE DEAL?
Besiktas had reportedly lined up wages worth somewhere around 12 million euros per year for Salah, on a one-year contract with an option for a second season. Club president Serdal Adali had already gone on record, saying that Besiktas and Salah had agreed on every issue. For a brief moment, it looked like Istanbul was about to land one of the most recognisable footballers on the planet, but then the numbers behind the numbers came out.
ABBAS’ COMMISSION DEMANDS
Salah’s representative, Ramy Abbas, is said to have requested a commission in the region of 35 percent. This would have added roughly 5 million euros on top of an already significant package. Adali did not hold back at all once the figure became public. He called it unacceptable under any circumstances and added that he did not believe Salah himself was even aware of what was being asked for on his behalf.
A club president would not make such a statement lightly. It goes to show exactly how far apart the two sides had drifted and how quickly a seemingly closed deal can unravel once the small print is brought to light.
Furthermore, on top of the commission dispute sits a second disagreement, this one over commercial rights. Shirt sales and image rights revenue have become sticking points too, with Besiktas reportedly unwilling to hand Salah’s camp a bigger share than they have given to any other player at the club.
BESIKTAS DRAW A LINE
As a result of this, Besiktas has been frustrated, and sporting director Onder Ozen is the public face of the said frustration. His message has been blunt, describing the demands as going beyond acceptable limits, and also saying Besiktas would not make a popular decision at the expense of the club’s own values. He confirmed talks have effectively been shelved for now, and that the club will not be improving what they consider their final offer.
To sum up, Besiktas is not in search of a quick resolution, and they are obviously unwilling to capitulate to what they deem unfair.
What makes the whole saga frustrating is that it was never about whether Salah wanted the move to Besiktas or vice versa; both sides reportedly agreed on the football side of things already. This is purely a fight over how the money gets carved up between club, player and the people representing him, a fight that happens constantly in football but rarely spills out into the open like this.
Also Read: Mo Salah and Besiktas
WHERE DOES THIS LEAVE SALAH?
The timing is not kind to Salah. He is 34, currently without a club, and the European transfer window is edging toward its close. Besiktas were the most advanced option on the table by some distance. If this collapses completely, his choices are not great.
There has been talk of Major League Soccer, with Inter Miami and San Diego FC both mentioned, along with the usual noise about the Saudi Pro League. None of it has apparently turned into an offer that matches what was reportedly on the table in Istanbul. Not yet, anyway. The longer this drags, the stranger it looks. A player who left Liverpool with genuine suitors circling is instead heading into pre-season with no club to report to.
THE BACKUP PLAN
Besiktas are not waiting around. Reports suggest they have already opened talks with AC Milan over Rafael Leao, while Dusan Vlahovic has been floated as another forward option following his exit from Juventus. The club wanted Salah, and built momentum around signing him, but they are not prepared to let one agent’s commission demand hold their entire transfer window hostage.
Ozen has left the door open, saying the club would reconsider if Salah’s side responds positively to the offer already on the table.
Somewhere in the middle of all the noise sits Mohamed Salah (reportedly) unaware of exactly how far his own agent pushed things, watching a move that once looked finished slip away over a percentage point argument that has nothing to do with his work on a football pitch.
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