Istanbul Awaits Mohamed Salah: 500kg Watermelon Giveaway

In Istanbul, the transfer saga around Mohamed Salah has spilled out of boardrooms and onto the streets – and into the fruit stalls.

One Turkish vendor has vowed to give away 500 kilograms of watermelon if the Egyptian star signs for Besiktas, a stunt that captures the scale of anticipation building around the former Liverpool forward. Half a tonne of fruit, handed out for free, in exchange for one of the game’s biggest names in black and white.

This is what Salah fever looks like in Turkey.

Reports tying the “Egyptian pharaoh” to a move to the Turkish giants have gathered pace since his departure from Liverpool earlier this summer. The idea of Salah swapping Anfield for Vodafone Park once felt like fantasy. Now it has become the dominant storyline of Besiktas’ off-season.

The vendor’s promise went viral after an Al Jazeera account focused on Turkish news posted a video on Instagram, showing him pledging the watermelon giveaway if Salah joins Besiktas. It was light-hearted, but it also underlined a serious point: this potential deal has gripped the city.

Behind the scenes, the tone is very different. No jokes, no theatrics. Just hard numbers and tense negotiation.

Turkish network NTVSpor reported that the long-running stand-off over Salah’s move is edging towards resolution. According to those reports, Besiktas have reached an agreement with the player himself. The final hurdle is his agent’s commission.

Club management, led by Serdal Adali, have been working quietly with Salah’s representative, Ramy Abbas. No grandstanding, no leaks from the meeting rooms, just a deliberate, strategic approach in the face of steep financial demands.

Abbas initially requested a commission of 35%, according to the same reports. A figure like that would test any club’s resolve, especially in a league where budgets are under constant scrutiny. Over time, though, those demands have started to come down. Step by step, percentage by percentage, the two sides have moved closer.

That shift has dragged the talks into what sources describe as the final signing stage. The framework of the deal is there. The personal terms are there. The club’s intent is clear. What remains is for the numbers on the agent’s side to align with Besiktas’ limits.

Reports now state that Besiktas are closing in on the point where they can officially announce Salah’s arrival, once the last details with Abbas are ironed out. No banners yet, no unveiling on the pitch, but the sense is that the finish line is finally in sight.

For Besiktas, this would be more than a transfer. It would be a statement to their rivals and a jolt of electricity through the Turkish league. For the fans, it would be the moment when rumour turns into reality, when clips on social media become a new number on the back of their shirts.

And for one vendor, it would mean an unforgettable day in the market – as 500 kilograms of watermelon disappear into the hands of celebrating supporters, marking the moment Mohamed Salah walks through the door.