Salah Besiktas talks stall due to financial demands
Besiktas sporting director Onder Ozen has confirmed negotiations with Mohamed Salah have stalled for now, due to the Egyptian's financial demands.
Salah is a free agent after coming to a mutual agreement with Liverpool to end his contract early, departing Anfield at the end of the 2025-2026 campaign.
He has been linked with Besiktas since the end of the World Cup, where he led Egypt to the round of 16, though his agent initially denied those rumours on social media.
However, Besiktas confirmed it does have an offer on the table for Salah, who made 315 Premier League appearances for Liverpool.
He is also one of just 10 players to be both the leading goalscorer and the top assister for a club in the Premier League, netting 191 goals in the competition for Liverpool while teeing up 93.
But Besiktas is determined not to compromise its transfer strategy in order to bring Salah to the club.
"We presented an offer to Salah, but his representatives made additional financial demands that significantly complicated the deal," Ozen said.
"I assume that a respected player like Mohamed Salah was unaware of these details.
"However, through his agent, financial demands were made regarding image rights on a scale the club has never previously granted to any player or staff member.
"The club president made the point that we have to stop. We have a ceiling for recruitment, and we cannot exceed it.
"Preserving the club's values and strategy is more important than signing any player, whatever his name.
"Besiktas' offer to sign Mohamed Salah, under the terms set by the club, remains on the table.
"If we receive a positive response to that offer, we can then discuss completing the transfer. But we will not submit another proposal beyond this one.
"They have also informed us that they are in talks with other parties. We will not change our position and, as far as we are concerned, the matter ends here."
Salah has also been linked with a move to MLS, with Inter Miami and San Diego FC both said to be interested in his signature.
Dusan Vlahovic is another option in the forward line for Besiktas, after he left Juventus at the end of his contract.
Should Vlahovic make the switch to the Turkish Super Lig, he would reunite with his former Fiorentina coach Vincenzo Italiano.
Vlahovic has apparently made it clear that his desired destination is a club in one of Europe's top five leagues, though Ozen still hopes they can bring him to Besiktas.
"Regarding Vlahovic, since the player is a free agent, the matter is in his hands," Ozen said. "If he prefers one of the five major leagues, then Turkiye isn't one of them. If an opportunity does arise for Vlahovic, then, of course, we would want to evaluate it as a club.
"He had the best season of his career with Vincenzo Italiano at Fiorentina, and the coach still occasionally speaks with him. He has great respect for the coach.
"There is surely a desire to work with him again, but the priority for players isn't choosing a coach; it's choosing a contract. I imagine Vlahovic is expecting a big contract and a team competing in the Champions League."
