Beşiktaş Istanbul has already made quite a few high-profile signings this summer, but they’re far from done: Sports Director Önder Özen has now spoken about the status of negotiations regarding Mohamed Salah and Dusan Vlahovic.
Over the past five years, Besiktas has consistently had to watch as other clubs celebrated the championship: first it was Trabzon (2021/22), and then Galatasaray four times in a row. But now the Black Eagles are launching a transfer offensive; they’ve already signed Alexander Nübel (FC Bayern), Salih Özcan (Borussia Dortmund), and Leandro Trossard (Arsenal), but that’s not enough for the Istanbul club. They’re also looking for high-profile reinforcements up front.
Take Mohamed Salah, for example. The 34-year-old former Liverpool player is a free agent and therefore available on a free transfer, but that by no means implies he’ll come cheap. Now, sporting director Önder Özen has spoken to HT Spor about the Egyptian. “We’ve made contact with Salah,” the 56-year-old explained, confirming three meetings with the “world star,” all of which went smoothly. The catch: the meetings didn’t yet address financial aspects.
“When it came to the financial aspects, the smooth process slowed down,” Özen now revealed, lamenting twists and “demands that led the negotiations into a dead end.” He apparently does not blame Salah himself for this, but rather his advisors. “I can imagine that a respected athlete like Salah knew nothing about this, but our club follows a specific policy from which we do not deviate.”
His remarks were particularly telling when he pointed out that while player agencies are a legal business, commissions for them are regulated by law. “Going beyond that,” he said, would therefore amount to an “illegal act”—and “when it comes to Besiktas, it is our duty not to put ourselves in such a situation.” For this reason, club president Serdal Adali decided to “withdraw from the negotiations ‘for the time being.’”
However, the deal isn’t entirely off the table, as Özen left the door open. While he emphasized that there would be no further offer for Salah, the one already on the table remains valid: “The offer is on the table. Should a response to this offer be received, it can be reviewed, but there will be no further offer. They mentioned that they are also in talks with other clubs; perhaps they’ll reach an agreement there. Our latest offer to Salah is our final one.”
Vlahovic is calling the shots
In addition to Salah, the Turks are also showing keen interest in Dusan Vlahovic, who has also been a free agent since July 1 after his contract with Juventus was not renewed. The Serbian would like to remain in a top league, but there have been no lucrative offers for him so far, especially since he is looking for an annual salary in the double-digit millions. “If he decides on one of the five major leagues, Turkey isn’t among them,” Özen clarified, though he still sees one trump card that Beşiktaş holds: Coach Vincenzo Italiano, under whom Vlahovic once flourished at AC Florence.
“He had his best season under Vincenzo Italiano. The coach also speaks with him from time to time, and Vlahovic has great respect for him. The desire to work with him again is certainly there,” Özen continued: “The player is in control. But the players’ priorities lie not in the choice of coach, but in the terms of their contracts, and I suspect that Vlahovic is expecting a lucrative contract. I assume he wants to play for a team that competes in the Champions League.”
Beşiktaş doesn’t—and yet hope springs eternal even on the Bosphorus. “Should an opportunity arise to sign Vlahovic, we as a club would be happy to consider it.”