Besiktas Firm on Mohamed Salah Offer: 'This is Our Last Word'
Besiktas have planted a flag in the sand over their audacious move for Mohamed Salah – and they insist they will not budge.
Sporting director Önder Özent confirmed the Turkish giants have formally tabled a contract offer to the former Liverpool star, who is a free agent after leaving Anfield at the end of last season. The proposal, he stressed, is non‑negotiable.
“Besiktas’ offer, made on its own terms, is on the table,” Özent told reporters, via Turkish outlet Fanatik. “If a response to this offer comes, it can be evaluated. But Besiktas will not make another offer.”
That is the crux of the club’s stance: take it or walk away.
A race with another club – and the clock
Salah’s camp, Özent revealed, are not talking exclusively to Besiktas. Another club is in the mix, and the Egyptian is weighing up his options as he decides on the next chapter of a glittering career.
“They’ve said they’re in talks with another club as well; perhaps they’ll reach an agreement there,” Özent admitted. “Our final offer to Salah is the last word — one that doesn’t compromise Besiktas’ club identity.”
Besiktas, then, have made their pitch and stepped back, refusing to be drawn into a bidding war or a commission spiral that clashes with their internal rules.
Three meetings, one sticking point
Özent outlined a courtship that began smoothly and soured only when money entered the conversation.
“We met with Salah three times without delving into the financial aspects of the negotiations,” he said. “Everything was going smoothly up to that point. Once the financial discussions began, the smooth progress seen on the first day started to slow down as of July 21.”
The turning point came when demands around commission emerged. Those requests, according to Özent, choked both the flow of information and the negotiations themselves.
“Requests began to emerge that would bring both the flow of information and the financial side to a standstill. I can assume that a respected athlete like Salah was unaware of this.”
The implication is clear: Besiktas believe the player’s entourage pushed for terms the club simply will not entertain.
Club policy over star power
Besiktas’ leadership has chosen principle over populism. In an era where clubs often bend to the will of superstar agents, Özent painted a picture of an institution determined to hold its ground.
“The club has a policy, and it cannot deviate from that policy,” he said. “Our president identified the line he would not cross very clearly and stood his ground. Management is a legal business; there is a legally established commission rate, and exceeding that would constitute an illegal situation.”
For Besiktas, this is about more than one marquee signing. It is about what the club wants to represent.
“When it comes to Beşiktaş, avoiding such a situation is a requirement of being a Besiktas supporter,” Özent added. “The president, by not making a populist decision, has ‘stepped away from the table for now.’”
So the offer sits there, untouched but not withdrawn, as Salah weighs Besiktas against at least one rival suitor. The Istanbul club have made their move and drawn their line. The next step belongs to Salah — and to the market that now decides just how far a club must go to land a global icon.
