Turkish media are reporting that Super Lig side Trabzonspor have held talks with Pep Guardiola, as the club look to go from strength-to-strength after signing Liverpool legend Mohamed Salah.
The pair faced off for almost 10 years in the Premier League, with Salah taking the English top-flight title from Guardiola’s Manchester City twice in that period.
Now, it appears that the Egyptian and the Spaniard could join forces in the Super Lig, with Turkish media reporting that Guardiola has been offered a €13 million salary to manage Trabzonspor.
Pep Guardiola could join forces with Mohamed Salah in shock Super Lig move
Despite a productive start to the season from Salah — striking four goals, and claiming an assist, in three Super Lig starts — Trabzonspor endured a devastating Europa League crash-out.
That arrived through Ferencvaros, who decimated Salah’s side 5-0 (agg.) in their Europa League two-leg qualifier. In the aftermath, then-manager, and former Trabzonspor player, Faith Tekke resigned on the spot.
The board rejected Tekke’s resignation, who lost 2-1 in his following fixture versus newly-promoted side Amed, away from home. He was then allowed to leave; now, according to Turkish news bulletin Gusholder Haber Bulteni, the Super Lig side has held talks with Guardiola.
In Trabzonspor’s first match since Tekke’s departure, they dismantled Genclerbirligi in a 5-0 romp at Papara Park. Goals came through Paul Onuachu, Ernest Muci, Salah, and new signing Franculino Dju.
In their pursuit of the Super Lig trophy — which Trabzonspor have additional motivation to achieve this term, with Galatasaray gunning for an unprecedented fifth successive Turkish top-flight title — Salah’s men appear to have turned, stunningly, to Guardiola.
The report from Gusholder Haber Bulteni has since been relayed online by Trabzonspor media, and other Turkish outlets.
In FourFourTwo’s view, the Spaniard is exceedingly unlikely to make the Super Lig move; however, it could be one to keep an eye peeled for. Having won virtually everything there is to win, and Trabzonspor emerging as a serious economic power in Turkey that could, under the right guidance, dominate the Super Lig in coming years, their project might appeal to Guardiola.
In 2022, Trabzonspor won their first top-flight title since 1984. A total of 78 clubs have competed in the competition, with only six winning it, and Salah’s side have claimed the fourth-most, with seven.
Galatasaray have 26, Fenerbahce hold 19, and Besiktas have lifted 16 Super Lig trophies. If any club is capable of disturbing this Istanbul-based dominance, it is likely to be Trabzonspor, and they are currently well-positioned to do so.
With Guardiola having taken Manchester City from relative Premier League minnows, to winning the second-most titles in the competition’s history, he could be enticed by a similar story playing out in Turkey, under his leadership.
The salary offered could pose issues, with the Spaniard reportedly having earned over £20 million annually in England. In contrast, €13 million to manage in Turkey appears drastically less appealing.
While this remains a vastly distant possibility, who wouldn’t like to see Guardiola and Salah work together, if just for a season, with their footballing legacies already stamped?
