Mo Salah signing for Trabzonspor continues Turkish clubs’ quest to overthrow Galatasaray

Mohamed Salah’s move to Trabzonspor has finally put to rest what was turning out to be a seemingly endless transfer saga. The now-former Liverpool man, who holds the mantle of being the Premier League’s leading non-European goalscorer, has signed a two-year contract for a Turkish side that has made quite the statement of intent.

However, the Bordo-Mavililer are not the only club who have been making big moves. There is a slow resurgence among the Turkish clubs, which points to one and only one thing: the end of the near-invincible monopoly of Galatasaray in the Süper Lig.

For the last four seasons, Galatasaray have been romping to the Turkish league title with relentless efficiency. They have won each title with a gap of eight, three, eleven, and three points, respectively, to the second-placed sides. While they have been challenged all the way in two of those four seasons, the title has inevitably shifted towards the men in Red and Orange in the end.

No team in the history of the Turkish league has won five consecutive titles in a row, and while Galatasaray will be looking to make the impossible possible, it is safe to say that the rest of the chasing pack will want to have their say in making sure that it does not happen.

The chasing pack includes the likes of Besiktas and Fenerbahçe, the other two out of the Istanbul big three, as well as Trabzonspor. Each of these sides have long title droughts they’ll be looking to end. Besiktas last won it in 2020/21, Trabzonspor in 2020/22, while Fenerbahçe have not won the league since 2013/14.

Ahead of the new season, all these teams have made signings that will bolster them and ensure that they pose a much better and stronger challenge to Galatasaray this time around, and the quality has also been high in terms of the names that they have acquired.

Besiktas were of course the team turned down by Salah in the end, but they have completed the signing of recently crowned Premier League champion Leandro Trossard from Arsenal and currently have their sights set on Serbian forward Dušan Vlahovic, who is a free agent after leaving Juventus.

Fenerbahçe, meanwhile, have signed Man City defender Nathan Aké, who has time and again shown his reliability in title-winning sides at the bedrock of defences. Marseille and former Man United forward Mason Greenwood has also joined and is coming off a very productive season.

Then of course, Trabzonspor, with the capture of Salah, will look to win their first title since 2022 and only their second in the 21st century.

In Türkiye, there is a saying that goes something like this: “titles are won at the airport.” This pushes a subtle message about getting in foreign imports that can attract large crowds to welcome them upon arrival. In that regard, it is safe to say that Trabzonspor have won at least the Turkish summer transfer window.

However, we will have to wait and see if that can translate into winning the league over Galatasaray, or if the Sari-Kirmizililar can make it five in a row for the first time in Süper Lig history.