Mohamed Salah has held detailed talks with Besiktas head coach Vincenzo Italiano about the Turkish club’s plans for next season, as negotiations over a sensational move for the Egypt captain continue to gather pace.
The 34-year-old forward, one of Besiktas’s primary summer transfer targets, is understood to have gone beyond initial contact with the Istanbul giants and is now scrutinising the sporting project being put to him.
According to Turkish broadcaster CNN Turk, Salah has maintained close communication with the Black and Whites’ hierarchy and used his first formal discussion with Italiano to probe the club’s ambitions in depth.
Salah seeks clarity on squad and style
During his conversation with the Italian coach, Salah is reported to have asked for “comprehensive” information on the make-up of next season’s squad and the signings being lined up in the current transfer window.
The report says the veteran winger showed particular interest in the structure of the attacking line and the quality of players he would be expected to link up with.
He is said to have asked specific questions such as: “من سيكون في الفريق، مع من سالعب؟” – “Who will be in the team, who will I play with?”
Salah also requested details on the team’s tactical philosophy under Italiano and how his own role would fit into the system, underlining a desire to ensure that any move would allow him to remain at the highest competitive level.
European ambitions under the spotlight
A key part of the discussions centred on Besiktas’s objectives in European competitions as well as domestic targets in the Turkish Super Lig and cup tournaments.
Salah, the report notes, is attaching “great importance” not only to the current standard of the squad but also to the calibre of incoming transfers and the club’s broader ambition to challenge consistently for silverware.
He is understood to be weighing how strongly Besiktas can compete against both Turkish rivals and European opposition, and how far the squad can be strengthened to support a deep run in continental tournaments.
Besiktas move to convince Egyptian star
Besiktas’s board, for their part, are said to be working to accelerate the process of persuading Salah by presenting him with the prospect of a powerful and competitive team being built around him.
Club officials are reported to have assured him that efforts are already under way to reinforce key positions and upgrade the squad to match his expectations.
CNN Turk indicates that negotiations between the two parties are progressing in a “positive” manner, with both sides maintaining regular contact as transfer activity unfolds.
Salah is described as closely monitoring every development related to squad-building and transfer business before committing himself to any decision on his future.
High-stakes decision for Egypt captain
The potential move would mark a major chapter in the career of Egypt’s national team captain, whose next contract is likely to be one of his last at the elite level.
His detailed questioning of Besiktas’s sporting project suggests that trophies, team quality and European exposure are central to his thinking as he considers whether to embark on a new challenge in Istanbul.
While no agreement has yet been announced, the ongoing dialogue and the depth of Salah’s inquiries indicate that Besiktas remain firmly in contention as his next destination, with both club and player now focused on whether the Turkish side can match his ambitions on and off the pitch.
