OFFICIAL: Galatasaray complete Victor Osimhen transfer

Tom Weber

Updated: 4 Sep 2024 16:33 CDT
3 min read

Galatasaray have pulled off the coup of signing Victor Osimhen.

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The wantaway Napoli striker has got his wish - though not the move he had anticipated or expected in his wildest dreams. Ahead of the summer transfer window, Osimhen was one of Europe's hottest commodities.

However, with a €130 million price tag and an €11m-per-season salary, most clubs couldn't afford the Nigerian sharpshooter and those that could, ultimately failed to match the demands of either Napoli or the player.

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Thus, Deadline Day in most of Europe's big leagues came and went and Osimhen was still on the books in Naples. Talks with PSG, Chelsea and Al-Ahli had gone nowhere and Osimhen was stuck at a club with which his relationship lay in tatters.

Now, however, he has managed to get out at last.

Galatasaray sign Osimhen

In a shocking turn of events, Turkish giants Galatasaray have taken Osimhen on loan for the season, though he may not stay beyond January. The Istanbul outfit agreed to pay the majority of his wages and Napoli jumped at the opportunity to offload the striker, albeit only temporarily.

Osimhen ultimately gave the green light to the transfer after fresh rounds of talks with Napoli. His contract in Naples was fitted with a one-year club option to protect his value ahead of a 2025 sale, while the player demanded a reduction of his €130m release clause to a more realistic €75m.

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Crucially, Osimhen has a break clause in his Galatasaray loan deal, meaning that he can return to Napoli in January and sign for a different club. Whether this will materialise is, of course, a different question as clubs are usually reluctant to spend big in the winter.

For now, his Napoli nightmare is over, but to say that his summer transfer window turned out differently than expected would be an understatement.