Galatasaray, a renowned Turkish football club, has officially announced that they are currently in discussions to secure the services of Napoli striker Victor Osimhen on a loan deal after a highly eventful summer transfer saga.
The Nigeria international was on the brink of a big-money move to either Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, or Al-Ahli during the recent transfer window, as he had expressed his desire to depart from Napoli to the club management.
Upon the arrival of new head coach Antonio Conte, Osimhen found himself frozen out of the squad in favor of the new signing Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea, making the Blues the frontrunners to secure his signature before the transfer deadline.
Unexpectedly, Saudi club Al-Ahli managed to reach an agreement with Napoli for Osimhen’s transfer, only to shockingly finalize a deal with Ivan Toney from Brentford shortly after. Despite personal terms being agreed with Toney, he did not give his approval to join Al-Ahli, prompting Chelsea to make a late bid to bring him to Stamford Bridge.
Despite Chelsea’s efforts, Osimhen declined their offer and opted to stay at Napoli, where he was subsequently left out of Conte’s plans, leaving him without any competitive action for the foreseeable future.
However, with the Turkish transfer window still open until September 13, Galatasaray has emerged as a potential lifeline for Osimhen, as confirmed by the club in a statement released on Monday night.
The statement read, “Official negotiations have commenced with the football player and his club SSCN Napoli SPA concerning the temporary transfer of professional football player Victor James Osimhen. It is respectfully announced to the public.”
While Galatasaray has only confirmed ongoing talks, respected journalist Fabrizio Romano has reported that an agreement has already been reached for Osimhen to join the Turkish side on loan for the 2024-25 season.
The deal is understood to be a straightforward loan arrangement with no option or obligation to buy, with Osimhen also reportedly agreeing to a new deal with Napoli featuring a reduced release clause. His annual wages in Turkey are expected to range between €9m (£7.6m) and €10m (£8.4m).
Despite his remarkable record of 76 goals and 18 assists in 133 appearances for Napoli across all competitions, including a league-leading 26 goals in 32 Serie A matches in their title-winning campaign of 2022-23, Osimhen’s move to Galatasaray was not what anyone had anticipated.
Nonetheless, the loan deal is seen as a necessary move for Osimhen to get back on the field and play regular football until January, with his new release clause of £63.2m indicating a probable permanent departure in 2025, leaving the door open for a potential move to Chelsea in the future.