Istanbul Awaits Mohamed Salah's Signing with Besiktas

In Istanbul’s fevered transfer summer, one promise cuts through the noise: 500 kilograms of free watermelon if Mohamed Salah signs for Besiktas.

A local fruit vendor, captured in a video posted by an Al Jazeera account specialising in Turkish news, has vowed to hand out half a tonne of watermelon the moment the Egyptian star is unveiled in black and white. It is part joke, part marketing stunt, but mostly a snapshot of how wildly the city has taken to the idea of Salah landing in the Turkish league.

Salah, now a free agent after his departure from Liverpool this summer, has been heavily linked with Besiktas in recent days. Reports in Turkey say the deal is edging towards completion, with only one major hurdle left: the commission for his agent, Ramy Abbas.

A Deal Near the Finish Line

According to Turkish network NTVSpor, the “crisis” around Salah’s move to Besiktas is close to being resolved. The club are understood to have reached an agreement with the player himself. Personal terms, salary, the sporting project – those pieces are essentially in place.

The tension lies elsewhere.

Abbas’s commission demands have dominated the final stretch of negotiations. Early reports out of Turkey claimed the agent initially asked for a 35% commission, a figure that instantly complicated talks. Besiktas, led by club management under Serdal Adali, chose not to walk away. They dug in.

Rather than wage a public battle, the board opted for discretion. Discussions with Abbas have been described as quiet and strategic, a calculated attempt to navigate high financial demands without turning the saga into a media circus. Behind closed doors, the numbers began to move.

Numbers Falling, Hopes Rising

Abbas, according to those same reports, has gradually reduced his commission request. Each step down brought the two sides closer, trimming away at the gap that separated a glamorous idea from an actual contract.

The pressure told.

With the agent’s stance softening, the deal has shifted into what sources describe as the final signing stage. The framework is there. The outlines of a blockbuster announcement are drawn. What remains are the last details, the fine print that can still delay – but no longer seems likely to derail – one of the most eye-catching transfers in Besiktas history.

NTVSpor and other Turkish outlets now say Besiktas are closing in on making the Salah move official. The club are expected to confirm the transfer once the remaining points with Abbas are ironed out.

Until then, Istanbul waits. Besiktas fans watch their phones. And somewhere in the city, a watermelon vendor stands ready, half a tonne of fruit on standby for the moment the Egyptian pharaoh is finally crowned in black and white.