Fabinho joins Trabzonspor on two-year Super Lig contract

Fabinho transfer gives Trabzonspor another ex-Liverpool pillar, pairing the 32-year-old Brazilian with Mohamed Salah on a two-year deal.

Trabzonspor announced the agreement Monday, adding a midfielder who left Al-Ittihad after joining the Saudi club in 2023. A Turkish stock exchange filing showed Fabinho will receive a €2.6 million guaranteed payment and a €1.4 million signing fee in each season, equal to $3.03 million and $1.63 million. The filing anchored the club's annual commitment at €4 million before bonuses or other costs disclosed separately.

Salah reunion shapes signing

The move turns Trabzonspor's summer work toward a familiar axis: Salah in attack, Fabinho behind him. Fabinho and Salah shared five years at Liverpool, and the Brazilian described the reunion after landing at Trabzon airport earlier Monday.

Fabinho called it "A really special feeling to be playing with Salah again ..." and said he respected the Egypt forward for his past work and future contribution. He added: "I will always try to do the best I can with whatever ability I have."

Salah, 34, joined Trabzonspor as a free agent earlier this month, giving the club a headline forward before Fabinho followed into midfield. Trabzonspor said on X that it had reached agreement with Fabinho, describing him as available on a free-agent basis.

Liverpool years set benchmark

Fabinho arrives with a record built at the top end of European football. He made 219 appearances for Liverpool, where his trophy list included the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, League Cup, Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup.

His next stop was Al-Ittihad, where he helped the Saudi side win the domestic league after ending his five-year spell in England. That background gives Trabzonspor a defensive midfielder used to high-possession football, knockout pressure and dressing rooms built around elite attackers.

The age profile is part of the deal's calculation. Fabinho is 32 and Salah is 34, so Trabzonspor is buying experience and chemistry rather than resale value. For a club that finished third in the Turkish top flight last season, the immediate return matters more than a long development curve.

Ferencvaros match comes next

The first measure comes quickly. Trabzonspor face Hungary's Ferencvaros on Thursday in the second leg of their European tie, a fixture that will test how much of the new balance can be used straight away.

Fabinho's role is clear if his fitness allows him to move into the side. He gives the midfield a screening option, a first pass from deeper zones and another senior voice around Salah, who has already begun his own Trabzonspor spell.

If the pair settle quickly, Trabzonspor can shorten the gap between summer recruitment and match impact. The mechanism is simple: cleaner service into Salah, better protection behind the ball and more control in games where Turkish clubs often pay for loose transitions in Europe.

If the adjustment takes longer, the club's wage commitment will put more pressure on domestic results and European progress. The open question is not pedigree; Fabinho and Salah have that. It is whether their Liverpool rhythm can be rebuilt fast enough for Trabzonspor's next set of fixtures.