Mohamed Salah’s agent mocks Besiktas president over failed transfer

Rami Abbas, the agent of Trabzonspor forward Mohamed Salah, has responded sarcastically to Besiktas president Serdal Adalı’s previous claims about why the Egypt international did not join the Turkish club.

Salah was initially close to joining Besiktas on a free transfer after leaving Liverpool, but the 33-year-old eventually chose Trabzonspor instead.

Reports said Salah agreed to an annual salary of 17m euros, with additional performance-related bonuses included in the deal.

Adalı had publicly blamed Abbas for the collapse of negotiations and criticised the agent’s demands.

“Salah agreed to transfer to Besiktas and his agent also sent a positive response to our offer at first,” Adalı said in earlier comments. “He even contacted our head coach and sporting director and renewed his approval of the offer.”

He added: “But after news spread in the media that our agreement had been completed, Salah’s agent increased his financial demands. He raised his own commission to unbelievable levels. It reached 35%.”

Around a month after those remarks, Abbas appeared to reference them in a social media exchange with his client.

The agent posted a photograph on X showing himself and Salah eating at a restaurant in Turkey. Salah replied to the image with the question: “Who ate both plates?”

Abbas then used the opportunity to make a pointed reference to Adalı’s comments about his commission.

“I ate all of mine and 35% of yours when you weren’t looking,” he wrote.

The exchange came as Salah continues the early stages of his Trabzonspor career following his move from Liverpool. He began his time at the club as a substitute against Kasımpasa on Saturday in the opening round of the Turkish league season.

That match ended in a 1-1 draw, with Salah making his debut from the bench.

His next appearance could come in Europe, with Trabzonspor preparing to face Hungarian club Ferencvarosi TC on Thursday. The match will be the first leg of the play-off round for a place in the UEFA Europa League.

The transfer saga had initially appeared to be moving Salah towards Besiktas, who play in black and white, before negotiations ultimately led him to Trabzonspor.

According to the reports cited in the dispute, the proposed package included the 17m-euro annual salary as well as additional variables. Adalı’s criticism, however, focused on Abbas’s alleged commission demand, which he said had risen to 35% after reports emerged that the transfer was already complete.

Abbas’s response did not directly address the broader negotiations. Instead, his comment beneath the restaurant photograph referred specifically to the percentage cited by the Besiktas president.

Salah is now set to continue his first season with Trabzonspor, with the club’s European campaign providing his next potential opportunity to play.