Salah Transfer Rumors Ignite Istanbul: Watermelon Giveaway

In Istanbul, transfer fever has reached the fruit stalls.

One Turkish vendor has promised to give away 500 kilograms of watermelon if Mohamed Salah signs for Besiktas, turning a routine summer rumour into a street‑level celebration before a deal is even done.

The stunt surfaced on Instagram, where an Al Jazeera account focused on Turkish news posted a video of the vendor pledging half a tonne of watermelon should the Egyptian star join the Black Eagles. It captured the mood perfectly: a club and a city daring to believe that one of world football’s most recognisable forwards could be about to land in the Turkish Super Lig.

Salah left Liverpool this summer, and talk of a move to Turkey has gathered pace ever since. Now, reports in Turkey suggest the story is moving from fantasy to the fine print.

NTVSpor reported that the “crisis” around Salah’s proposed move to Besiktas is close to being resolved. According to those reports, the club have reached an agreement with the player himself, leaving one major issue on the table: the commission demanded by his agent, Ramy Abbas.

Besiktas, led by club president Serdal Adali, have been working that problem quietly. No grandstanding, no leaks from the boardroom. Just a series of strategic talks with Abbas, whose initial financial demands were described as high.

The key figure being reported is striking. Abbas is said to have requested a 35% commission at the outset. That number raised eyebrows, and it also raised the stakes in negotiations. But as discussions continued, he began to reduce those demands step by step, dragging the deal closer to the point where contracts can be signed.

That shift has changed the tone around the move. What started as distant speculation now feels like a countdown. Local reports say Besiktas are “close” to officially announcing Salah, with only the final details of the agreement with his agent left to be ironed out.

For Besiktas supporters, it is a tantalising prospect: a global icon in black and white, a statement signing after a summer of upheaval. For one vendor, it is simpler than that.

If Salah walks through the door at Besiktas, half a tonne of watermelon walks out of his shop.