Mohamed Salah plays in the Turkish league.

Egyptian striker Mohamed Salah, who became a free agent after leaving Liverpool, arrived in Istanbul on Wednesday in preparation for joining Turkish club Trabzonspor.

The 34-year-old player landed at Atatürk Airport in Istanbul around 12:00 local time (09:00 GMT), where he was greeted outside the airport by hundreds of club fans who gathered to welcome him, according to reporters from Agence France-Presse.

Abdul Karim Yervan, one of Trabzonspor's fans, told Agence France-Presse near a sign describing the Egyptian star as a "gift from God": "I came straight from work. I work at night, and I am ready to spend another sleepless night for Mohamed Salah."

Trabzonspor had previously posted on the platform "X": "Salah's status has been activated," accompanied by pictures of the player on a private jet wearing the blue and maroon team jersey.

The club, based in the northeastern Turkish city of Trabzon and qualified for the playoff round of the UEFA Europa League, announced on Tuesday the start of "negotiations" with the Egyptian star, who left Liverpool after nine seasons during which he won the same number of titles with the Reds.

Salah is scheduled to undergo a medical examination in Istanbul on Wednesday before heading to the city of Trabzon later in the day.

The right winger will sign a two-season contract, which includes an option to extend for an additional season, and will earn an annual salary of 17 million euros, according to several Turkish media outlets.

Trabzonspor, which last won the Turkish league title in 2022, is the only club from the Anatolian region that has managed to compete with the major Istanbul clubs: Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe, and Beşiktaş.

Salah holds a legendary status with the Egyptian national team, having scored 68 goals in 121 international matches and contributed to the team's advancement to the Round of 16 in the 2026 World Cup. He also left a historic mark with Liverpool, scoring 257 goals and providing 123 assists in 442 matches across all competitions.

Salah joined Liverpool from Roma in 2017, winning two Premier League titles and one Champions League title with the team.

Although the "Egyptian King," as he is nicknamed in England, had a performance below his usual level in his last season, his popularity has not diminished either in the city of Liverpool or in Egypt.