Besiktas explore Galatasaray’s Osimhen blueprint as Salah talks stall over pay and merchandising rights

Besiktas’ high-profile push to sign Mohamed Salah has reached an impasse over pay and merchandising rights, prompting the Istanbul club to study Galatasaray’s innovative commercial model for Victor Osimhen in an attempt to salvage the deal.

The Turkish giants have, according to reports, tabled a final two-year package for the Egypt captain worth in excess of €40m. The proposal is understood to include a guaranteed salary of €15m per season, plus performance-related bonuses that could add up to a further €4m a year.

However, negotiations are said to have broken down because Salah’s camp want a bespoke agreement tying part of his income directly to the sale of shirts bearing his name. Additional demands around agent commissions are also reported to have complicated the financial framework and pushed the overall cost of the transfer towards the limits of Besiktas’ budget.

The club’s football director, Onder Ozen, has made clear that Besiktas will not stretch beyond their financial parameters purely to complete a headline signing, underlining that any deal must remain sustainable.

Besiktas turn to rival’s Osimhen model

In a bid to unlock the deadlock, Besiktas are understood to have contacted fierce Istanbul rivals Galatasaray to learn how they constructed the commercial platform around Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen, who joined the Turkish champions from Napoli in a €75m permanent move.

Galatasaray’s approach with the Barcelona-linked forward has been described as a unique commercial project in European football, designed to maximise revenue without altering the club’s standard shirt-sales structure.

Rather than granting Osimhen a direct share of replica kit income, Galatasaray are reported to have launched a premium collectors’ product, branded the “Solo Il Gala Osimhen Box”. The limited-edition package is said to contain a specially numbered jersey, a replica of the striker’s distinctive five-star protective face mask, a bespoke scarf and a QR code giving fans access to exclusive digital content.

Each box was priced at €215, with an estimated production run of around 100,000 units. Reports suggest that sales of approximately 78,250 boxes generated enough income to offset Osimhen’s net annual salary, believed to be €15m, effectively allowing the club to cover his wages through this targeted commercial initiative.

Osimhen’s contract is also understood to include a separate €5m per year image-rights arrangement, underpinned by sponsorship deals and other commercial streams. That structure is designed to ease the burden on Galatasaray’s core wage budget while still rewarding the player for his global profile.

Salah options grow as talks remain frozen

Besiktas have been exploring whether a similar premium merchandising scheme could be created around Salah to satisfy his representatives’ commercial expectations without rewriting the club’s long-standing retail model. Discussions, though, are said to have stalled with no formula yet identified that suits all sides.

If the Turkish club cannot revive negotiations, Salah is unlikely to lack alternatives. Clubs in the Saudi Pro League – including Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr and Al-Ittihad – are all in a position to offer tax-free contracts that would comfortably surpass the figures under consideration in Istanbul.

Major League Soccer is also believed to be a realistic destination. Sporting Kansas City have reportedly put forward an offer, while expansion club San Diego FC continue to be linked because of the involvement of British-Egyptian businessman Sir Mohamed Mansour, who is keen to bring Egypt’s most prominent footballing figure to the United States.

Galatasaray eye Salah after Osimhen success

In a further twist, Galatasaray themselves have emerged as potential rivals to Besiktas for Salah’s signature. Buoyed by the financial success of the Osimhen project, the Turkish champions are reportedly considering whether to deploy a similar merchandising-led strategy should they decide to launch their own move for the forward.

For now, Besiktas’ pursuit hinges on whether Salah’s camp are willing to accept an alternative to the shirt-sale revenue share they originally requested – and whether any adaptation of the Osimhen model can be implemented quickly enough to turn a stalled marquee transfer back into a realistic possibility.