Mo Salah reveals key Liverpool factor behind choosing Trabzonspor over big-money Saudi Arabia move

Mohamed Salah has hinted that his love of football culture played a major role in his surprise decision to join Trabzonspor this summer.

The Egypt international left Liverpool at the end of last season before opting for a move to Turkey rather than taking one of the lucrative offers from Saudi Arabia.

Now, Salah has explained why the atmosphere surrounding his new club appealed to him.

What has Mo Salah now said about his move to Trabzonspor?

Salah joined Trabzonspor at the beginning of August despite expectations that he would remain at a major European club.

The 34-year-old revealed that the passion surrounding football in Trabzon was one of the reasons he was immediately attracted to the move, with the reception he received from supporters only strengthening that feeling.

“I’ve played for clubs where football is deeply ingrained in the culture,” Salah said (via Sport Witness). “I know that being in a city where people are passionate about football is different from being in the capital or elsewhere.”

He also admitted that the welcome he received after arriving in Turkey reminded him of the connection he had experienced during his Liverpool career.

“After the reception at the airport and the stadium, the next day my Liverpool teammates called me. [Dominik] Szoboszlai and I are still talking. They said they’d never seen anything like it before.”

Salah also revealed he researched the city before making his decision, including looking into the best areas to live and the local food.

Salah's surprise club choice now makes more sense

On the surface, moving from Liverpool to Trabzonspor looked like a strange decision for a player who could have continued competing at the very highest level or earned significantly more in Saudi Arabia.

His comments make the choice easier to understand, though.

Salah clearly values the relationship between a club and its supporters, and Trabzonspor has given him an immediate connection with the fanbase.

The early signs are encouraging, too. Salah has already scored three goals in five games for his new club, suggesting he could quickly develop the sort of legacy he enjoyed at Anfield.

Whether the Turkish side can provide anything close to the success Salah experienced in England remains to be seen, but the emotional appeal of the move is now much clearer.