Osimhen vs Salah: Who is Turkey’s highest-paid star as Trabzonspor close in on Liverpool legend?

Super Eagles star Victor Osimhen’s record-breaking contract at Galatasaray could soon face its biggest challenge, Afrik-Foot reports.

This is as former Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah is reportedly on the verge of completing a sensational move to Trabzonspor.

Several transfer insiders claim Trabzonspor have reached an agreement in principle with the 34-year-old Egyptian, who became a free agent after leaving Liverpool at the end of the 2025-26 season. If the deal is completed, Salah would become one of the biggest names ever to play in the Turkish Süper Lig and one of the highest-paid footballers in the country’s history.

The proposed move comes after Trabzonspor reportedly beat fellow Turkish giants Beşiktaş in the race for Salah. Beşiktaş had held positive talks with the player’s representatives, but negotiations reportedly broke down because of disagreements over agent commissions and financial terms.

Reports suggest Salah has been offered a two-year contract until the summer of 2028 worth a net salary of €17 million per season. The agreement also includes an unusual commercial incentive, allowing the former Liverpool star to receive 20 percent of the revenue generated from official Trabzonspor merchandise carrying his name.

Although transfer journalists believe the move is entering its final stages and a medical has been pencilled in, Trabzonspor president Ertuğrul Doğan has insisted that no official contract has yet been signed and that travel arrangements have not been finalised. That cautious public position is not uncommon in Turkish football, where clubs often avoid confirming major transfers until every document has been completed.

Salah’s deal would beat Osimhen’s base salary

If the transfer goes through, Salah’s €17 million annual wage would comfortably become the highest guaranteed base salary in Turkish football.

That figure is €2 million more than the €15 million net base salary Osimhen currently earns at Galatasaray after joining the Istanbul club on a blockbuster deal. The Nigerian striker’s contract, which runs until June 2029, also includes a €1 million annual loyalty bonus and a €5 million image-rights payment every season. Those extra earnings lift Osimhen’s guaranteed yearly package to €21 million.

Salah’s agreement, meanwhile, relies more heavily on commercial income. Instead of a fixed image-rights payment, he would earn 20 percent of the revenue from official Salah-branded merchandise sold by Trabzonspor.

Why Osimhen still comes out on top

While Salah would move ahead in terms of basic salary, Tottenham-linked Osimhen would still remain Turkey’s highest overall earner based on guaranteed income. The Galatasaray striker’s combined package of €21 million per year is €4 million higher than Salah’s guaranteed €17 million salary.

For the Egyptian captain to overtake Osimhen financially, the 20 percent merchandise clause would have to generate at least another €4 million every season. That would require Trabzonspor to produce more than €20 million annually from merchandise carrying Salah’s name alone. Even with Salah’s enormous global popularity after his successful years at Liverpool, that would represent an extraordinary commercial achievement for a club with a much smaller worldwide fan base than Galatasaray.

Unless Salah’s arrival sparks unprecedented shirt sales and record-breaking merchandise demand, Osimhen is expected to keep his place as the highest-paid footballer in Turkey, even if the Egyptian becomes the league’s biggest earner in terms of basic wages.