MOHAMED SALAH is leaning on Andre Onana during his early days at Trabzonspor.
The Manchester United goalkeeper is in his second season out on loan at the Turkish club, while Salah has just arrived as a surprise package following his departure from Liverpool.
Mohamed Salah had a special arrival party when he arrived in Trabzonspor Credit: Getty
On-loan Man United goalkeeper Andre Onana has been helping Salah to settle, The Jattvibe has been told Credit: Getty
JattvibeSport has been told that Onana, whose family still lives in Manchester because of the children’s schooling, spends a lot of time with Salah and his family in a bid to make their adaptation to the city of Trabzon as smooth as possible.
Among the first things Onana has been helping Salah with is showing him the best spots to eat out and where to get the best haircut, should he need one.
Sign up for the Man United newsletter
Thank you!
Dream Team is back, free, and there’s £100,000 up for grabs!
Onana has also been helping Salah get familiar with his new surroundings, with the pair able to share their experiences of adapting to life in Turkey.
One of the attractions of Trabzon is that it is a predominantly Muslim city in Turkey, with lots of mosques and a culture that has similarities with Salah’s native Egypt.
TOP TIPS
BMW Championship 2026 betting tips, free bets and latest golf odds
NEW BAL GAME
Baleba bounced back from Man Utd heartbreak & family tragedy to get dream move
Salah and his family were therefore happy to make the move, with the environment offering a sense of familiarity despite being thousands of miles from home.
But Onana has been like a brother to the Liverpool legend during the first weeks of his move to the club.
The Cameroon international is also enjoying life in Trabzon and has filled the void of not having his immediate family with him by having friends from Cameroon around to add colour to his days when he is not training.
SUN VEGAS WELCOME OFFER: GET UP TO £100 BONUS
The main reason his family has remained behind is the children’s schooling, meaning his wife has had to stay in Manchester to take care of the kids.
Onana joined Trabzonspor last season after losing his place as Manchester United’s first-choice goalkeeper following the arrival of Senne Lammens.
He had been United’s No 1 but a combination of errors and instability at the club meant that both player and club agreed that a spell away would be in everyone’s best interests.
JattvibeSport understands that Onana’s second season in Turkey is another loan deal, with no obligation for Trabzonspor to buy him permanently.
Salah and Onana were rivals from their Premier League days but the nature of football has made them they’re best of friends Credit: The Times
The goalkeeper is therefore continuing to rebuild his confidence and enjoy regular football away from the pressure of Old Trafford.
For Salah, meanwhile, the move to Turkey represents a dramatic new chapter after nine glorious years at Liverpool.
During his time at Anfield, the Egyptian became one of the club’s greatest-ever players, making 308 appearances, scoring 191 goals and providing 93 assists.
However, his final season at Liverpool proved difficult, with Salah increasingly finding himself on the bench before a public falling-out with then-manager Arne Slot.
Salah is still waiting for his first goal with Trabzonspor Credit: Getty
Onana is in his second year loan spell even though there is still no obligation to buy Credit: Getty
When he eventually left the club, there was widespread speculation that he could be heading to Saudi Arabia.
Instead, Salah surprised everyone by choosing a move to Turkey and joining Trabzonspor.
The arrival of a player with Salah’s reputation has naturally generated huge excitement around the club, with supporters hoping he can reproduce the form that made him one of the most feared forwards in European football.
But things have not gone entirely to plan on the pitch so far.
Trabzonspor must now overturn a 1-0 defeat to Hungarian side Ferencvaros if they are to keep their hopes of playing in the Europa League this season alive.
The 1-0 defeat at home on Thursday night means they have it all to do in the second leg.
And Salah is still waiting for his first goal for the club after missing several good opportunities.
With the pressure already building ahead of the decisive second leg, having a familiar face such as Onana around him could prove valuable as Salah settles into his new life in Trabzon.
