Besiktas Nears Mohamed Salah Transfer Amid Istanbul Excitement

In Istanbul, even the fruit sellers are watching Mohamed Salah’s next move.

One Turkish vendor has vowed to give away 500 kilograms of watermelon if the Egyptian star signs for Besiktas, a promise that captures the mix of hope, humour and sheer disbelief surrounding a deal that would shake Turkish football.

Salah, who left Liverpool this summer, has been increasingly linked with a switch to the Turkish giants. The rumours have grown loud enough that an Al Jazeera account specialising in Turkish news shared a video on Instagram of the vendor standing by his pledge: if Salah joins Besiktas, half a tonne of watermelon goes to the public, on the house.

Behind the street theatre sits a serious operation. According to Turkish outlet NTVSpor, the long-running “crisis” over Salah’s proposed move to Besiktas is edging towards a solution. The club is reported to have reached an agreement with the player himself. One final hurdle remains: the commission for his agent, Ramy Abbas.

Club president Serdal Adali and his team have kept talks with Abbas deliberately low-key. No leaks, no public posturing, just quiet, strategic negotiation in the face of sizeable financial demands. Reports state that Abbas initially pushed for a commission of 35%. That figure has since started to come down, step by step, dragging the deal closer to the point of no return.

Each concession has nudged the paperwork towards the signing table. With the gap narrowing, local reports now say Besiktas are closing in on an official announcement, pending agreement on the last details with Abbas.

On the streets, the conversation is simple: if the “Egyptian pharaoh” really walks out at Vodafone Park in black and white, there will be goals, shirts flying off the shelves – and a mountain of free watermelon. Inside the boardroom, the calculation is more complex, but the direction of travel is clear.

Besiktas are pushing hard. Istanbul is waiting. And one vendor has 500 kilograms of fruit ready for the day the deal finally drops.