Besiktas walk away from Mohamed Salah transfer after financial deadlock
Former Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has seen his proposed transfer to Besiktas stall after the Turkish club withdrew from negotiations over financial disagreements.
The 34-year-old is currently a free agent having departed Anfield a year before the expiration of his contract.
It appeared the Turkish Super Lig side were leading the race for his signature following three positive initial meetings.
However, Besiktas director Onder Ozen has confirmed that talks have hit a significant roadblock due to the player’s financial demands.
Financial demands halt progress
Ozen indicated that negotiations slowed considerably in late July once the fiscal structure of the deal was discussed.
The Turkish executive suggested that new requests from the Egyptian’s representatives disrupted the flow of communication and created a stalemate.
“We contacted Salah, this also involved a financing model,” Ozen told Turkish media.
“Up to this point, everything was smooth, but when the financial side began, the initial smoothness slowed down from July 21st onwards.”
He added: “Requests began to arrive that would both disrupt the flow of information and create a deadlock in the financial process.”
Ozen maintained that the club’s president, Serdal Adali, has set strict financial boundaries that will not be broken.
Rival clubs enter the race
Besiktas have insisted that their final offer remains on the table, but they will not improve the terms to accommodate the ex-Red.
Ozen also revealed that the prolific winger’s camp is already in discussions with an unnamed rival club.
The Istanbul-based outfit, who recently signed Leandro Trossard from Arsenal, are desperate to bolster their squad as they seek their first domestic title since 2021.
Despite this setback, the three-time Premier League Golden Boot winner will not be short of options.
Lucrative moves to the Saudi Pro League have long been mooted, while Major League Soccer remains a viable destination for the veteran attacker.