Atletico Madrid in contact with Mohamed Salah with contract in mind – report | OneFootball

Mohamed Salah has piqued the interest of Spanish giants Atletico Madrid, who are considering sending him a contract offer, according to a report.

Salah has departed Liverpool after nine years with the English giants. He scored 257 goals and assisted 123 more during his time at Anfield, and is coming off the back of a World Cup campaign of one goal and two assists.

Though he’s now 34, Salah will be an asset to whatever side lands him. He’s been a target for clubs in the USA, Saudi Arabia and Turkey of late.

But reports in Spain suggest Atletico Madrid are considering making an offer for the Egyptian superstar.

It’s said they’ve sent the winger an enquiry, and are considering offering him a two-year deal, with the option of a third depending on levels of performance.

Contact has ascertained the financial terms demanded by Salah, with salary suggested as a slight problem, as the former Liverpool man wants to earn around £400,000 per week, which has already proven problematic for Besiktas.

Atletico are not said to be able to easily match offers from Saudi Arabia, and they therefore want to emphasise what they can offer him in a sporting context: the ability to continue performing and Europe and a significant role in the squad, after Antoine Griezmann left for the MLS.

Trabzonspor leading for Salah

The latest reports on Salah suggest that Turkish club Trabzonspor are most advanced for his transfer currently.

Turkish journalist Yagiz Sabuncuoglu has said: ‘Trabzonspor met with Mohamed Salah’s representative and submitted its official offer.

‘€17 million salary. Two-year contract. Mohamed Salah’s representative called the player and conveyed the details of the offer. Salah is positively inclined towards Trabzonspor’s offer.

‘He will consult with his family and make the final decision.’

Fellow journalist Santi Aouna has said: ‘Trabzonspor are close to hijacking the Mohamed Salah deal. The club are close to reaching a full agreement with the player after entering advanced negotiations with his agent.

‘As a result, Besiktas have officially suspended negotiations until further notice, despite having already reached a verbal agreement with the player’s camp over a 1+1-year contract worth €10m net per season plus €2m in bonuses.’

In theory, the wages on offer in Turkey should be no better than in Spain, but in practice, the flat 20 per cent tax rate for professional footballers in the country means salaries are less watered down and therefore clubs don’t have to pay quite as much as in other countries.

Indeed, that €17million (£14.6m) in Turkey, once tax is deducted, will become €13.6million (£11.7m), while in Spain, it would become closer to €8.5million (£7.3m), meaning the gross pay needs to be higher for Atletico to match what Trabzonspor can.