Mohamed Salah wants to stay in Europe. That's the detail that changes everything about what looked like a straightforward Saudi exit from Liverpool this summer.
According to Turkish outlet A Spor, Fenerbahçe have already held two meetings with Salah's agent, with club representative Ertan Torunoğulları directly involved. Salah has reportedly outlined salary expectations of around £333,000 per week — roughly €20 million a year — which tracks closely with what he currently earns at Anfield. A third round of talks was scheduled after Fenerbahçe's recent derby against Galatasaray before being paused due to a club election. Paused. Not dead.
This matters because the working assumption for months has been Saudi Arabia. Al-Nassr, big money, Ronaldo connection, job done. Betfair still has the Saudi Pro League as the 8/11 favourite for his signature. But Salah's reported preference to remain on the continent puts a very different frame on those odds.
What Fenerbahçe are actually offering
Istanbul is not a retirement destination. Fenerbahçe compete in UEFA competitions regularly, they've recently recruited Ederson, Leroy Sané and N'Golo Kanté, and they play in front of one of the most intense fan environments in European football. If Salah genuinely wants to keep competing at a high level rather than collecting a cheque in Riyadh, the logic tracks.
The club are currently seven points behind Galatasaray with three weeks left in the Süper Lig season — a title race they're unlikely to win — which means Fenerbahçe need a statement signing. Salah, at 33 and on a free transfer, fits that profile exactly. No fee, immediate impact, global attention.
José Mourinho's dismissal in August 2025 after a Champions League qualifying failure complicates the picture slightly. Whoever replaces him will need to sanction a £333k-per-week commitment. That's a serious ask during a managerial transition.
The Liverpool farewell still has a chapter left
Salah came off in the 3-1 win over Crystal Palace on April 25 with a muscle issue, an emotional substitution that felt uncomfortably like a goodbye. Liverpool have since confirmed he's expected to return before the season ends, with fixtures against Manchester United, Chelsea, Aston Villa and Brentford still remaining. The final home game against Brentford on May 24 could yet be his Anfield send-off — properly this time.
His numbers this season: 12 goals, nine assists in 39 appearances. Not a player in decline. A player who still has something left to prove, which might be exactly why he's looking at Istanbul rather than Jeddah.
- Saudi Pro League (Al-Nassr): 8/11 favourite
- MLS: 15/8
- AS Roma: 10/1
- Barcelona, PSG, Newcastle: 11/1
- AC Milan, Real Madrid: 12/1
- Juventus: 14/1
- Bayern Munich: 22/1
- Tottenham: 25/1
Fenerbahçe aren't even listed in that market yet. If talks progress, those lines will shift fast.
The Saudi money is real and it isn't going away. But Salah's preference, as reported, is to stay in Europe — and Fenerbahçe are the ones who've actually shown up to negotiate.
