Istanbul Awaits Mohamed Salah's Signing: 500 Kg Watermelon Offer

In Istanbul, transfer fever has taken a sweet, almost surreal twist. One Turkish fruit vendor has promised to give away 500 kilograms of watermelon if Mohamed Salah signs for Besiktas.

Half a tonne of watermelon, for one signature.

The pledge went public in a video posted on Instagram by an Al Jazeera account focused on Turkish news, capturing the mood around the city as rumours of Salah’s move gather pace. It is football, Turkish-style: passion, theatre, and a sense that everyone, from club presidents to street vendors, is part of the story.

Salah, the Egyptian superstar and former Liverpool talisman, left Anfield this summer. Since then, reports have steadily linked the “Egyptian pharaoh” with a spell in the Turkish Super Lig, with Besiktas emerging as the club pushing hardest to land him.

According to Turkish network NTVSpor, the saga is edging towards a conclusion. The broadcaster reported that Besiktas have reached an agreement with Salah himself, with only one major hurdle left before the deal can be completed: the commission for his agent, Ramy Abbas.

That is where the real battle has been fought.

Club management, led by Serdal Adali, have kept negotiations with Abbas deliberately low-key. No public posturing, no headline-grabbing statements. Just quiet, strategic talks in the background while the fanbase grows increasingly restless – and hopeful.

Reports claim Abbas initially demanded a 35% commission. A huge figure, even in a market accustomed to aggressive agent fees. But as discussions continued, he began to scale back those demands, step by step. With each concession, the contract moved closer to the point of no return.

The pressure finally told. The deal, sources suggest, has reached the brink of the final signing stage.

NTVSpor and other local reports state that Besiktas are now close to officially announcing Salah’s arrival, pending agreement on the last remaining details with Abbas. Once those are ironed out, the club expects to move quickly.

For Besiktas, it would be a seismic signing. For the Turkish league, another marquee name to light up the season. For that vendor, it means unloading 500 kilograms of watermelon into the hands of delirious supporters.

All that’s left is the stroke of a pen – and an entire city is waiting to see if the pharaoh really will walk out in black and white.