Tag: Osimhen

Victor Osimhen is expected to earn  nothing less than N32 billion  yearly  after Napoli and Galatasaray finally agreed the  sale of  the Nigeria international.

In probably  the most protracted  transfer this summer, the Turkish giants have been locked in negotiations with the Partenopei  for several weeks while Osimhen rejected a staggering  €160 million contract proposal from Saudi Arabia.

But several  Italian outlets  and transfer platforms yesterday  confirmed that  both parties have finally concluded talks after agreeing a deal for the 26-year-old striker.

Farmed out  on loan to the Turkish giants ahead of the  2023/24 season , Osimhen  turned  out the style as his goals  led  Galatasaray to both  the league  title  and  national cup  as he tallied an impressive  37 goals in 41 appearances for the club.

But according to Football Italia, Galatasaray have agreed  to pay the full €75m transfer fee by the end of 2026, adding of the €75m transfer fee, Napoli will receive €40m up front and will be paid the remaining €35m by the end of 2026.

The Partenopei will also be entitled to up to €5m in bonuses and will also retain a 10% sell-on clause.

Additionally, the deal will also include an ‘anti-Serie A clause’, preventing him from joining one of Napoli’s direct rivals for the next 24 months.

Osimhen is expected to travel to Istanbul tomorrow  according  to Turkish transfer expert  Hakan Gündoğar where  he would be unveiled as a new Galatasaray player with a ‘historic welcome’.

Read Also: MICHAEL KAYODE: I’ve wanted to play in EPL since I was a child

Furthermore, Italian journalist Nicolo Schira has also  confirmed that the former African Footballer of the Year will sign a four-year contract in Istanbul  and would earn an annual salary of €18m (about ₦32 billion).

 “Osimhen was heavily linked with a summer move to Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Hilal, however he snubbed the chance to secure a lucrative contract in the Middle East in favour of remaining in Europe and he ultimately decided to return to Galatasaray, despite interest from numerous Premier League clubs,” noted Football Transfers.

 Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and Newcastle United were among the teams eager to sign Osimhen this summer, as per multiple reports, although they were unable to match his wage expectations and the Nigeria striker was unwilling to lower his demands.

As a result, a move to the English top flight failed to materialise and Osimhen is instead on the verge of formally joining Galatasaray on a permanent deal.

DONE DEAL: OSIMHEN TO GALATASARAY

*€40m immediate payment.

*€35m in one year.

€5m add-ons based on goals.

*10% sell-on clause on future profit.

*Clause to avoid sale to Italian clubs next two years.

*€18m annual salary.

Top Transfer Expert Fabrizio Romano has said Napoli have held back their final approval for Victor Osimhen to transfer to Galatasaray because they believe other interested clubs will join the chase for the striker’s signature.

Romano revealed on his YouTube channel: “Galatasaray has now improved its offer to 75 Million Euros, 40 Million upfront and 35 Million in installments. But Napoli insist on bank guarantees to make this deal happen.

“And Napoli currently believes other clubs may join the race for the player.

“That’s why they haven’t yet agreed, but Galatasaray is certainly pushing.”

Read Also: Osimhen’s Galatasaray move hits snag

It has been suggested that Napoli would have preferred to do business with Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal and not Galatasaray for Osimhen.

The Saudis, backed by their government sovereign fund, will pay off the now expired release clause quicker than the Turkish champions.

Galatasaray already have in place a three-year contract with option for a fourth year for Osimhen.

He will earn 18 Million Euros a year.

The on today, off tomorrow’s  transfer move  of  Napoli-owned  Victor Osimhen appears to have a snag  with the Serie A outfit reportedly demanding more guarantees from Galatasaray even as the Nigeria International is refusing to attend pre-season training.

It had finally seemed to reach a breakthrough after weeks of impasse and a rejected move to Saudi Arabia for Al-Hilal.

Galatasaray said they were prepared to pay the €75m release clause following his loan experience, but would only be able to do it in instalments.

In order to give Napoli protection in case of non-compliance, there would be a series of guarantees written into the deal.

However, Sky Sport Italia transfer expert Gianluca Di Marzio claimed  yesterday that Napoli are unsatisfied with the formula and number of guarantees they received, so the negotiations ground to a halt.

At the same time, Turkish transfer pundit Yagiz Sabuncuoglu equally said  that Galatasaray director Abdullah Kavukcu delayed his return from Milan because the talks were taking longer than expected.

Read Also: Napoli reject  €60m Galatasaray  offer for Osimhen

This source also crucially notes that Osimhen is trying to force through a transfer to Galatasaray by refusing to attend pre-season training with Napoli and set an ultimatum to the club.

The Nigeria international scored a massive 37 goals in 41 competitive appearances for Galatasaray while on loan last season, along with eight assists.

In a related development, Galatasaray head coach Okan Buruk has confirmed that the club’s impending deal for Osimhen causes a ‘budget issue’ that leaves his side unlikely to find an agreement with Inter for midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu.

Galatasaray have been seeking deals for two high-profile Serie A players in Osimhen and Nerazzurri midfielder Calhanoglu this summer.

Reports earlier in the week confirmed that Galatasaray have agreed to pay the full €75m release clause in Osimhen’s Napoli contract after an overwhelmingly successful spell on loan in Istanbul during the 2024-25 season.

The parties remain in discussions over the payment structure of the €75m, and Napoli are seeking official guarantees from the bank to ensure that payment is received in full.

With a deal for Osimhen close to completion at a cost of €75m, Galatasaray are now unlikely to pull off a deal for Inter’s Calhanoglu.

The Nerazzurri had previously warned that the 31-year-old will not leave the club for anything under €30m this summer, and that if there was no agreement for his exit in place by the end of the month, then he would remain an Inter player for 2025-26.

Buruk, speaking publicly on Thursday, has confirmed that a deal for Calhanoglu is now unlikely for Galatasaray as a result of their negotiations for Osimhen.

“Every team would want Calhanoglu, he’s a phenomenal player,” Buruk said, reported via Sports Digitale. “His love for Galatasaray is very strong.”

Galatasaray could be  working in tandem with  two Serie A  giants Juventus and AC Milan  in order to facilitate the movement of  Nigeria International striker Victor Osimhen away from  Napoli  in what has been a bewildering transfer process in this Summer Window.

In fact, former Napoli sports chief Pierpaolo Marino has questioned  the rationale behind Galatasaray’s move to the 26-year-old striker.

Gala remain eager to make Osimhen’s loan stay into a permanent deal – which they can do so for €75m thanks to a clause in the player’s deal.

But Marino has raised the prospect of AC Milan or Juventus being behind Gala’s move, knowing the set price is only available to foreign clubs.

He said on RAI 2: “The clause in my opinion is right for Osimhen’s international value. He is one of the few, 10 in the world, who can shift the balance of a team from non-winning to winning.

“My doubt is: Turkish teams have always incentivized players with pharaonic wages, but they have never paid that much for the player’s registration cards. Now it is said that Galatasaray could pay the clause to Napoli for Osimhen. And my doubt is: if the player were to go there, is it possible that the operation is aimed at bypassing the termination clause for Italy and bringing him here in a year at the price of the clause valid today for abroad?

“I think my doubt is quite well-founded. I would be curious to see where he will go in a year. Am I saying that there is a company behind Galatasaray? Yes, an Italian one, in my opinion. It could also be fantasy, but since Juventus and Milan are interested, I think it is such an intelligent strategy… “

Read Also: Pinnick’s CAF appointment will elevate Nigerian football – Presidential aide

He then added: “The clause for England is also high, especially Osimhen’s salary is high. The English clubs offer higher salaries, but it seems that Galatasaray will reach 15 million net, even for the English it is difficult to reach that offer.”

Meanwhile according to Football Italia,  Osimhen is  open to completing a permanent transfer to Galatasaray, but Napoli want his full €75m clause, which expires on July 15.

Osimhen is happy to stay at Galatasaray beyond the summer with the Turkish giants ready to match a €15m-a-year salary request, the same sum that the striker would earn if Napoli activated a clause to extend his contract to 2027.

There’s another clause, valid for clubs outside Serie A that allows suitors to sign Osimhen for €75m, a sum that the Partenopei expect to be paid in full.

Surely there’s a gap between Galatasaray’s offer and Napoli’s demand that must be filled. The Serie A giants could ultimately be open to giving a little discount to the Turkish side, but surely not as much as €20m.

If the Turkish giants want to retain Osimhen, they must send an improved proposal.

Osimhen has already rejected a €30m-a-year contract offer from Al-Hilal and scored 37 goals in 41 games across all competitions during his one-season loan spell at Galatasaray in 2024-25.

Napoli have reportedly  turned down an improved bid from Turkish giants Galatasaray for  Nigeria International striker Victor Osimhen, who spent the 2024-25 season on loan in Istanbul.

Napoli are expected to sell Osimhen this summer. The Nigeria international has been on the club’s books since the summer of 2020, but has been pushing for a move away from the Partenopei for the last year.

Osimhen saw a permanent move away from Napoli fall through in spectacular fashion on deadline day of the summer transfer window in 2024, which led to his joining Galatasaray on loan for the 2024-25 season. There, he provided 37 goals and eight assists from 41 appearances across all competitions.

Now, with a €75m release clause in his contract, which is valid for teams outside of Italy, Osimhen looks set to move on in the near future.

Read Also: Conte contacts Osimhen to mend frosty relationship

Earlier  reports  yesterday from Yağız Sabuncuoğlu claimed  that Osimhen and Galatasaray have an agreement on personal terms for a three-year contract with the option of an additional 12 months in place but there still needs to be an agreement between Napoli and Galatasaray, however.

According to Sky Sports Germany, Galatasaray have increased their offer 60 Million Euros after the initial bid of 50 Million Euros with another Five Million Euros in bonuses was rejected. 

Napoli have insisted on 75 Million Euros being the release clause of Osimhen and which Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal said they will meet, but have not yet got the green light from the striker.

But Sky Sport Italia insists that Napoli have turned down Galatasaray’s bid of €60m in his contract.

Napoli are pushing for a higher fee, close to the €75m release clause in Osimhen’s contract.

According to II Mattino, Napoli have tried to mend the frosty relationship with Victor Osimhen in the last few days, and coach Antonio Conte is now open to the striker returning to the attack of the Serie A champions.

Osimhen is still on holiday, but in the last three days, Napoli have made contact with him.

The newspaper reported that Osimhen playing again for Napoli is still an idea, but it is now been discussed extensively inside the Italian club.

Read Also: NLC opposes plan to remove minimum wage from Exclusive List – Ajaero

The relationship between club and player broke down considerably last summer when Osimhen was forced to go on loan to Galatasaray after a transfer to Saudi Arabian club Al Ahli collapsed at the last minute.

Napoli will resume training camp on July 15, and Osimhen will be called up should he still not have found a new club.

He officially returned as a Napolion  Monday midnight following the end of his loan deal at Galatasaray.

Juventus remain interested in Napoli-owned striker Osimhen even after securing the services of Jonathan David as a free agent.

Football Italia transfer expert Alfredo Pedullà and Sky Sport Italia report that Juventus are still willing to sign the Nigeria international to strengthen their attack in the 2025-26 campaign.

Football Italia exclusively reported at the end of June that David had agreed to personal terms with Juventus while the Bianconeri remained in talks with Osimhen’s entourage.

Read Also: “Born Winners”: Super Falcons unveil slogan ahead of WAFCON 2024

Contacts between the Serie A giants and Osimhen’s representatives intensified over the weekend, according to Sky Sport.

Juventus aim to sell Dusan Vlahovic this summer as the Serbia international is unwilling to extend his contract beyond 2026.

Randal Kolo Muani is on loan from PSG, but Juventus will hold talks with the Ligue 1 giants to extend the French striker’s stay at the club beyond the summer.

Osimhen has a €75m clause included in his Napoli contract, but it’s not valid for Serie A clubs, which means the Serie A giants must negotiate a transfer fee with their domestic rivals.

Juventus ‘intensified’ their talks with Victor Osimhen’s camp over the weekend, according to Italian media.

The Nigerian superstar is again stuck in transfer limbo, and despite plenty of interest, there seems to be no swift resolution in sight. Indeed, his club Napoli have even invited him to take part in pre-season after accepting that a deal is unlikely to materialise anytime soon.

Osimhen had been effectively banished from Naples after pushing for a transfer last summer. Talks with Chelsea, PSG and Al-Ahli came to nothing, so he ultimately had to join Galatasaray on loan.

The Turkish giants remain desperate to keep him and are willing to break the bank to extend his stay in Istanbul, but Osimhen has still not made a final decision on his future despite having thoroughly enjoyed his year with the Super Lig champions.

Meanwhile, Al-Hilal are reportedly set to return with a new proposal for the 26-year-old after seeing several lucrative contract offers rejected by the striker, and Liverpool are also exploring a potential deal.

Amid all of this, Juventus have been lurking in the background. The Bianconeri are known admirers of Osimhen, and he was their top striker target under sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli, who previously signed him for Napoli.

Read Also: New Osimhen Galatasaray jersey breaks sales record

According to Sky Italia, Giuntoli’s recent sacking has not changed Juventus’ stance on Osimhen. Quite to the contrary, the report stated that ‘contacts were intensified with the player’s entourage’ over the weekend as they seek to forcefully enter the race for him.

Juventus want to get buy-in from the player before trying to negotiate a deal with domestic rivals Napoli, who would be loath to lose another star striker to the Turin club after the Gonzalo Higuain debacle in 2017.

Osimhen has a €75 million release clause, but it is only active for foreign clubs, which means that Juventus will have to sit down with Napoli and thrash out a deal.

Given the finances involved and the rivalry between the two clubs, completing the signing of Osimhen is an eminently difficult undertaking for the Old Lady – especially with Dusan Vlahovic refusing to leave – but they are ‘determined’ and ‘serious’ about landing him.