This is no longer just a sporting deal.. Erdogan enters the negotiations with Salah

Mohamed Salah

The Turkish president brings the Pharaoh closer to Besiktas

In a striking development, Turkish press reports have revealed direct intervention by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Besiktas' negotiations to sign the Egyptian star Mohamed Salah.

Turkish newspaper "Zaman" report that the deal to bring Salah to the Turkish league is no longer merely a sporting matter in the hands of the Besiktas board. It has become something prominent figures in the state are watching closely.

According to the newspaper, Erdogan stepped in personally and asked Besiktas president Serdal Adali for a detailed report on the progress of talks with Salah. He is following every detail of the proposed move to Istanbul himself.

Officials at the Turkish club believe this indirect governmental support could help clear the enormous financial obstacles standing in the way of a deal this size. Besiktas' ambition is not confined to domestic competition alone. It stretches to a bid for continental dominance.

Turkish journalist and broadcaster Erdogan Aktas, quoted by the same newspaper, confirmed the Egyptian striker will arrive in Istanbul next Wednesday to put the finishing touches to his Besiktas contract.

Complete the deal, and it would become the biggest transfer in the history of the Turkish league in terms of market value and public momentum.