Salah's Decision to Leave Liverpool
Mohamed Salah's departure from Liverpool was partly fueled by his belief that he could still compete every week at the highest level. The 34-year-old forward has chosen to continue his career at Trabzonspor, who have offered him a two-year contract worth €17 million per season.
The Appeal of Trabzonspor
On closer inspection, it is easier to understand the appeal of the transfer. Trabzonspor offers Salah and his young family the chance to remain in Europe and live in one of the most vibrant cities on Turkey's Black Sea Coast. He avoids having to take the significant pay cut a move to Spain or Italy would have demanded and will benefit from the country's more favorable income tax rates, while also living and working just a two-hour flight away from his native Egypt.
Liverpool's Rebuild
For Liverpool, the departure of Salah marks the start of a new era. The club rewarded Salah with a new deal after a stunning 2024-25 season, during which he scored 29 goals en route to the Premier League title. However, as the Reds' form unraveled last term, so too did Salah's relationship with the Anfield hierarchy. Liverpool are now faced with the unenviable task of replacing the man who marked himself out as irreplaceable during his nine storied years on Merseyside.
The Search for a Replacement
Liverpool remain in negotiations over a deal for Paris Saint-Germain forward Bradley Barcola, although the club are not prepared to meet the French side's £145m valuation of the transfer. Even if Barcola joins, he prefers to operate from the left wing, as does Víctor Muñoz, who signed for the club in a £34.5 million deal from Osasuna in June. Sources told ESPN Liverpool also hold an interest in PSG's Ibrahim Mbaye but, at just 18 years old, the winger is far from the finished article. The same is true of Rio Ngumoha, 17, who was the breakout star of Liverpool's 2025-26 campaign and has been tested on the right flank during preseason.