Mohamed Salah arrived in Istanbul to thousands of fans at the airport, signed a two-year deal with Trabzonspor, and in doing so handed the English press a question they couldn't ignore: how exactly does Turkish football afford this?
The Telegraph went looking for answers. What they found is a league that has quietly built itself into a genuine competitor to Saudi Arabia — not through state money, but through a combination of net salary structures, creative financing, and clubs willing to carry eye-watering debt loads to stay relevant.
The net salary advantage
The core of Turkey's appeal is simple: players keep what they're told they'll earn. Salah is reportedly taking home at least £14.5 million net per season at Trabzonspor — which The Telegraph's analysis equates to over £500,000 per week on a gross UK contract once tax is factored in. The club covers the tax bill. The player sees the full number.
"They basically get their money net. They have no tax liabilities; the club pays their taxes," one Turkish agent told the paper. That's not a small detail — it's the entire pitch. Saudi Arabia built its model on the same principle, and Turkey has now matched it structurally, without the sovereign wealth fund backing it up.
That matters for betting markets too. A league that can consistently attract players of this calibre changes the competitive ceiling of the Süper Lig — which had historically been easy to price as a step down from Europe's top five.
How the clubs actually pay for it
The big four Turkish clubs — Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe, Beşiktaş, and Trabzonspor — carry collective debt exceeding €1 billion. That is not a typo. It is also, apparently, not a crisis, because cash flow is doing the work that balance sheets aren't.
Galatasaray sold land in deals reportedly worth over £400 million, sold the naming rights to Ali Sami Yen (now Rams Park), and still found room for Victor Osimhen on a €75 million valuation — the same Osimhen who scored the winner against Liverpool last season. Fenerbahçe, meanwhile, has turned player development into a revenue stream: Ferdi Kadıoğlu went to Brighton for €30 million, Arda Güler to Real Madrid for €28 million. That's nearly €60 million in outgoings that directly fund incoming ambition.
Trabzonspor's route is different. Salah's signing is expected to be financed largely through sponsorships — Turkish Airlines and electric car brand Togg are already on board, and Turkish Airlines announced direct Cairo-to-Trabzon flights the day after Salah signed. The club also banked €26 million from selling Christ Inao Oulai to Fiorentina to strengthen its position before the deal was done.
Turkey vs Saudi Arabia — the perception gap is closing
For years, a move to Turkey meant one of two things: a player cashing out at the end of their career, or a cautionary tale about delayed wages. Robin van Persie went to Fenerbahçe after winning the title with United. Darius Vassell was mobbed by fans at Ankaragücü in 2009. The Telegraph dredged those up as benchmarks — and the contrast with today is stark.
Salah reportedly had Saudi interest after leaving Liverpool and turned it down. He's not alone in that calculus. Riyad Mahrez, Wijnaldum, Brozovic, Kessié, Doucouré — the list of players who left the Saudi Pro League when their contracts expired is growing. Bruno Fernandes turned down a Middle East offer and stayed at United. Kevin De Bruyne chose Napoli over the Gulf entirely.
Turkey isn't just benefiting from Saudi's retreat. It's actively competing. Mason Greenwood is at Fenerbahçe alongside Nathan Aké. Leandro Trossard, who won the Premier League with Arsenal just months earlier, joined Beşiktaş. These aren't end-of-career signings. They're players in their prime — or close to it — making considered choices.
Not every transfer has stuck, which is worth acknowledging. Wilfried Zaha joined Galatasaray on a free in 2023, ended up loaned to Lyon, then Charlotte FC in MLS. Ederson reportedly wants out of Fenerbahçe after one season, his move tied to José Mourinho's tenure — and Mourinho was sacked early in the campaign. The model works when everything aligns. When it doesn't, Turkey's historical instability still shows through.
Players are now protected by a FIFA rule allowing them to walk if wages go unpaid for three months. That's a floor, not a ceiling — but it's a floor that didn't always exist, and it changes the risk calculation for agents assessing a Süper Lig move.
Salah chose Turkey over Saudi Arabia. The Telegraph spent a feature piece trying to explain why. The fact that explanation required this much unpacking tells you everything about how quickly the Süper Lig's reputation has shifted.
