The interesting meaning behind the number ’61’ shirt that Mohamed Salah was seen wearing upon his arrival at Trabzonspor on Wednesday afternoon has now emerged. The Egyptian King has now completed his free transfer after calling time on a nine-year Liverpool stint at the end of last season.

At Anfield, Salah scored 257 goals and produced 120 assists in 442 total appearances, cementing his status as one of the greatest Premier League players of all time as a result of his mind-boggling numbers. He was important in the Reds winning the Champions League, two league titles, and a gluttony of other trophies during Jurgen Klopp’s glorious reign.

The sight of him wearing another shirt would have been a bittersweet moment for his former club’s fanbase – but as one door closes, another opens for the 34-year-old, and his choice to wear the unique ’61’ shirt has instantly endeared himself to Trabzonspor’s passionate support after signing a deal that makes him the highest-paid player in Turkey’s history.

Interesting Reason Mo Salah Wore ’61’ Upon Trabzonspor Arrival

Image via via Reuters/Nathan Ray Seebeck

As GOAL reported, Salah – who nearly led Egypt to a World Cup quarter-final last month before Argentina’s dramatic-yet-controversial turnaround – couldn’t wait to send a message to his new fans, and did so with his shirt choice this week.

While it was initially reported that he wanted to wear the number ’10’ to reflect what he wears for Egypt, the number ’61’ is the province code in the Turkish car registration plate system for Trabzonspor.

Over the years, that number has become one of the city’s most prominent symbols of identity and belonging. You’ll find it in the names of shops and on social media accounts, and a Trabzonspor shirt bearing 61 holds a special place in the hearts of the club’s fans, who are known as being among the most passionate in European football despite their lower-ranking.

The club documented Salah’s journey with a video clip, in which the player addressed the fans directly: “Trabzon, are you ready? I am here, see you soon. Wherever we are, Trabzon is here.” It remains to be seen if the shirt number he wore upon arrival to Turkey was just a publicity stunt, or whether he will actually be wearing it competitively next term.

Salah’s Trabzonspor Deal Came As A Shock To Many

Ken Blaze (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters)

Last season, the media used Salah as something of a scapegoat during Liverpool’s struggles. The then-Premier League champions looked lethargic in their failed title defence, but even amid the criticism that he had suddenly gone past his sell-by date, Salah still managed 12 goals and 10 assists in 41 appearances.

That led many to believe the winger would be set for a move to another top-tier side, with Jamie Carragher urging AC Milan, Juventus and other Italian clubs to make an approach. Instead, he has wound up at a club that is not only outside Europe’s top five leagues, but also finished 16 points behind champions Galatasaray last term.

Many would agree Salah still has far more left in the tank and should be competing for trophies, but instead he appears to have settled for less ahead of the new campaign. That said, his wage packet is still a lucrative one.

Tottenham Hotspur are set to make a major U-turn on the future of one star after he held talks with manager Roberto De Zerbi, according to TEAMtalk.

Spurs have had a very busy summer, spending over £230m on Jan Paul van Hecke, Mateus Fernandes, and Sandro Tonali, while Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi, and Martin Dubravka have all also joined on a free transfer.

The club are not done with their transfer business yet, as they are still looking to balance the squad out a bit with some sales, and there are several players linked with moves away from north London.

De Zerbi Wants to Keep Bergvall

Action Images via Reuters

One such player is central midfielder Lucas Bergvall, who has been heavily linked with a move away from the club amid interest from the likes of Nottingham Forest, who had a £38m bid rejected, Newcastle, who had a £46m bid rejected, and Brighton, who were preparing a club-record offer for the Sweden international.

The player had previously expressed his desire to leave Spurs this summer in search of regular football, and it was reported that Tottenham were willing to sanction an exit for around £60m.

However, it’s now reported that after holding talks with De Zerbi behind the scenes, the Italian manager has convinced the board that they would be making a mistake by letting him leave, and the stance around the club has now significantly changed.

Bergvall has concerns about his place in the pecking order following the arrivals of Fernandes, Tonali, and Conor Gallagher in the last two windows, while Archie Gray has regularly been given the captain’s armband during pre-season.

But De Zerbi has assured the 20-year-old that he remains a major figure in his long-term plans at the club, and Bergvall is now set to commit his future to the club until January at least, where he will then re-evaluate his situation.

Bergvall a Top Prospect

It’s very easy to forget that Bergvall is only 20 years old, considering how good he has been since joining the club as an 18-year-old. Described as ‘incredible’, the midfielder has all the attributes to be able to play in a number of roles, and that is hugely beneficial to De Zerbi and the way he wants to play.

With such quality, it would have been a tragedy for Spurs fans to lose such a talent so early on in his career simply because the club are prioritising winning now, rather than their future.

Now they have the chance to convince him that he is in the right place, and the team will be better for it at the same time.

Tottenham Hotspur have enquired about the possibility of signing Benjamin Sesko, but Manchester United are not prepared to sell the striker this summer, according to TEAMtalk.

Sesko experienced a mixed opening campaign in English football last term, although he found his feet toward the end of the season under Michael Carrick, ultimately finishing the year with 12 goals in 32 appearances. Despite this promising return, prospective suitors believed United may be willing to sanction a premature departure for the Slovenian this summer.

Tottenham have made their interest known to the Red Devils, while Barcelona and Bayern Munich are also said to be monitoring Sesko.

A hefty offer could always sway United, but for now, their stance on the player’s future is that they won’t let him leave before the end of this transfer window.

Tottenham Make Benjamin Sesko Enquiry

Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff

Sesko’s mixed form last season, combined with several links between United and new forwards, led clubs across Europe to believe that the 23-year-old could be available this summer.

TEAMtalk report that Spurs are among the list of sides keeping close tabs on the former RB Leipzig man’s situation. The Lilywhites have reached out to Old Trafford executives to proclaim their interest in the player.

However, the same outlet suggest that United are instead looking to fend off the interest and are eager to add more firepower around Sesko, rather than replace him.

Carrick and his coaching staff were impressed with the number nine’s performances in the latter half of last season and are eager to keep developing the player, who they view as having superstar potential.

The north-west club paid a fee worth around £74 million with add-ons for Sesko’s services last summer. While the reporting indicates that they have no interest in selling the centre-forward, it’s not unreasonable to believe that a substantial offer could seduce them to change their mind on this front.

If Spurs were to stump up a proposal in the region of £100 million, there’s every possibility that they would land Sesko this summer.

Tottenham Should Focus on Other Striker Targets

Tottenham could pay over the odds for Sesko, but they probably shouldn’t. While he’s certainly an impressive talent with all the tools to develop into something special, the Lilywhites cannot afford to take this expensive gamble after already spending big money on the likes of Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes this summer.

Instead, they should explore other options on their striker shortlist. Junior Kroupi is no longer a candidate after sustaining a serious foot injury last week, although there are some more under-the-radar links which have surfaced in recent weeks.

Club Brugge’s Nicolo Tresoldi has been mooted as a target, while Hoffenheim’s Fisnik Asllani has also been linked.