Between Spain, Saudi Arabia and Turkey: did Mohamed Salah make the right decision?

In the early days of negotiations after the World Cup, Beşiktaş looked the most likely destination for the Egyptian star.

Talks reached the point of settling the shirt number he would wear (11), the value of the contract and even the filming of the club's advertising campaigns. That reflected huge confidence within the Turkish club that the deal would get done.

Time passed, though, and the negotiations stalled over contractual disagreements. Certain financial clauses proved sticking points, as did the role of the player's agent Ramy Abbas. The deal ground to a halt at the decisive moment, and rival clubs began to exploit the situation.

Beşiktaş saw their negotiations stall. Several Saudi clubs pounced, with Al-Ittihad leading the charge.

Reports claimed Salah had agreed to the Saudi offer in return for a huge salary reaching 25 million dollars a year. Al-Diriyah's name also surfaced among the clubs monitoring the situation, ready to pounce should the Turkish talks collapse.

Financially, the Saudi league offered the strongest package by some distance, boosted by the major project the competition has driven in recent years and the string of global stars it has lured.

Yet other reports suggested Salah still preferred to stay in Europe. At this stage of his career, he believed he could still compete on the Old Continent, which meant the Saudi bids, for all their financial muscle, never became a done deal.

Days later, Atlético Madrid entered the picture.

Spanish reports spoke of initial talks and a desire from the club to take advantage of Salah's availability as a free agent. The plan was a two-season contract with the option of an extension.

Yet the negotiations never moved beyond enquiries and a study of the financial terms. No official announcement followed, and no final agreement was reached.

On the pitch, Atlético may have been the ideal choice. A move to the Spanish capital would have kept Salah in one of Europe's strongest leagues, handed him another crack at the Champions League and left him fighting for domestic and continental silverware.

But in the transfer market, "interest" and "an official offer" are two very different things.

While rival clubs briefed the press, Trabzonspor got on with the job.

The club confirmed talks with Mohamed Salah were underway, then named the date he would land in Istanbul to complete his transfer. That turned speculation into action.

Perhaps this was the decisive factor in the whole saga. Salah found a clear project in front of him and a club ready to close the deal, rather than one waiting on offers that had barely moved past the opening round of talks.

Look purely at the sporting side and Trabzon offer several important advantages.

Start with location. The move satisfies Salah's desire to remain within Europe, a point repeated across more than one report over the past few days.

Continental football comes next. The team will play in the Europa League, giving Salah continuity on the European stage rather than a life confined to domestic competitions.

Then there's his status. Salah would be the undisputed number one at the club, with the attacking system built around him, something other sides stacked with stars may not be able to offer in the same way.

Pressure from fans and the media exists in Turkey too, of course. But it looks lighter than the scrutiny that would have awaited him elsewhere, particularly at Saudi side Ittihad.

Trabzon is not without its downsides, though. The most notable is that the Turkish league remains weaker than its Spanish or English counterparts, and competing in the Europa League is naturally a different proposition from playing in the Champions League.

Salah may also have sacrificed a bigger financial return in the Saudi league, which now boasts a strong sporting project and is no longer viewed as the mere payday it was seen as years ago.

Was Atletico Madrid's interest genuine, and could it have turned into an official offer? Many will naturally see a move to La Liga as the better sporting option.

This story cannot be told without pausing to consider the role of Ramy Abbas, Mohamed Salah's agent.

Abbas was present at every stage of the negotiations, according to reports, and his name rose to prominence after talk of contractual disputes helped sink the player's move to Besiktas.

Some fans criticised the agent's firm stance. The reality suggests his primary role is to protect the player's interests and secure the best possible contract in financial and legal terms.

In the end, that firmness may have handed Salah a better opportunity. The negotiations shifted from Besiktas to Trabzon, who managed to reach the official stages of the deal.

Whether Mohamed Salah was right or wrong to choose Trabzonspor cannot be judged with any certainty yet. Every option on the table carried its own upsides and downsides. Atletico Madrid offered a shot at continued success at Europe's highest level, the Saudi league promised a vast sporting and financial project, and Trabzon handed him the chance to stay in Europe as the leading man in a side building around him as its number one star.

Football, though, isn't decided on paper. It's settled inside the green rectangle. The move to Trabzon could become one of the finest chapters of Salah's career if he drives the club to domestic honours and a Champions League appearance. In time, it may just as easily prove that another path would have suited him better.

That's why there's no definitive answer for now. The real verdict won't come from news or speculation. It will come from what the Egyptian star delivers on the pitch in a Trabzonspor shirt.

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