Tag: Victor Osimhen

The 2025/2026 Turkish Super Lig season kicks off tomorrow, with reigning champions Galatasaray set to begin their title defense away to Gaziantep FK.

However, the Istanbul giants will be without one of their key players — Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen.

Osimhen, who recently completed a permanent move to Galatasaray following a standout loan spell, was absent from the matchday squad announced by head coach Okan Buruk. The club has yet to issue an official explanation for his omission.

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The 26-year-old forward joined Galatasaray from Italian side Napoli and quickly became a fan favourite, scoring over 30 goals across all competitions last season. His prolific form was instrumental in Galatasaray’s domestic double, helping them lift both the league title and the Turkish Cup.

Also missing from the squad are Argentine striker Mauro Icardi and Spanish forward Álvaro Morata, the latter reportedly close to a move to Italy.

Despite Osimhen’s absence, he is expected to return in time for Galatasaray’s second league fixture — a home clash against Fatih Karagümrük. Fans will be eager to see him back in action as the club aims to build on last season’s success.

Galatasaray have not wasted any time in trying to recoup the huge investment they have made in signing Victor Osimhen permanently.

The Turkish champions pocketed 431,000 Euros for their live broadcast on YouTube of the striker’s arrival in Istanbul.

They have also printed 100,000 Osimhen jerseys and have produced a special box in honour of their new signing.

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The box, which is called ‘Solo il Gala Osimhen box’, contains a special jersey with the player’s autograph, an Osimhen mask, and a scarf.

The box goes for 215 euros.

The gate fees for a pre-season friendly against Italian club Lazio tomorrow have also been increased to bring in more cash.

Galatasaray have confirmed that Victor Osimhen  is due in Istanbul to conduct a medical and to sign the documents to complete his permanent transfer from Napoli.

The Nigeria International striker reportedly enplaned  last night en route to Istanbul  with claims  that  Galatasaray even threw a dig at Napoli  with a  crisp message  in Italian that read: ‘Solo il Gala’, (‘Only Gala’) as per Football Italia.

After weeks of negotiations, Osimhen is on the verge of officially becoming a new Galatasaray player on a permanent basis.

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The Turkish giants have agreed to pay the full €75m fee that had been active in the player’s contract earlier this summer. Galatasaray will pay €40m up front, and the remaining €35m in instalments by the end of 2026.

Reports earlier this week confirmed that Osimhen will have his medical in Turkey today , July 31. Yesterday, Galatasaray posted a short video to their social media channels with Osimhen from the airplane. The club even broadcast the flight tracker on a live stream on YouTube, along with additional commentary and analysis.

Football Italia further noted that ‘the video of Osimhen on his flight over to Istanbul appears to contain a slight dig at Napoli, with the choice to have him say ‘only Gala’ in Italian, rather than in English or Turkish’.

Top Transfer Expert Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Victor Osimhen’s transfer to Galatasaray is now a done deal.

He reported that both Napoli and Galatasaray are signing all the agreements concerning this transfer over the weekend.

“Galatasaray and Napoli are in the process of signing all the documents relating to the agreement for Victor Osimhen,” he announced on X.

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“The lawyers are working to formally sign the agreement over the weekend.”

He then rounded up his report with his famous “Here we go!” catch phrase.

La Repubblica newspaper said that it now “just a matter of hours” before the transfer is made official.

In Turkey, YS TV reported that Galatasaray have signed the inter-club agreement with Napoli for the transfer of Osimhen.

They have since then sent the contracts to the Italian club.

Multiple sources are reporting significant advances in Napoli and Galatasaray talks for Victor Osimhen for €75m, including an anti-Serie A penalty aimed squarely at Juventus, according to Football Italia.

It was already known last week that Galatasaray had agreed to the €75m fee, but they needed to provide banking guarantees and pay the full sum by June 2026.

The Italian news outlet  stated that both Matteo Moretto and Turkish transfer expert Yagiz Sabuncuoglu have confirmed  that those issues were resolved, with Napoli accepting the initial €40m payment, plus two further instalments of €17.5m by the 2026 deadline.

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Moretto, who works alongside Fabrizio Romano, also reports that the Turkish side have accepted the penalty of €75m to be paid if Osimhen were to join another Italian club within two years.

This is widely seen as a clause purely to block the Nigerian from joining their arch rivals Juventus, which is also why all their release clauses are only for clubs outside of Italy.

The only remaining problem is that Napoli want a 20 per cent cut of the future transfer fee, but Sabuncuoglu notes that they have not entirely refused to discuss removing it.

Osimhen was left out of the squad for Napoli’s pre-season training camp, a further indication the deal will get over the line eventually.

Napoli keep Galatasaray waiting

Former Super Eagles striker Odion Ighalo has for the umpteenth time  advised  admonished Victor Osimhen to  cash in on the lucrative opportunity  in the Saudi Premier League  for at least two years  before staging a return to Europe.

Over the past three seasons,  Napoli-owned Osimhen has been at the centre  of constant transfer speculation with top European clubs such including  Arsenal, Manchester United, Juventus, Chelsea, Bayern  as well as  wealthy Saudi Arabian teams.

Last season, he  turned down a big-money move to Saudi side Al-Hilal and has also turned down over tunes  from Al-Hilal in the current summer transfer window.

He now reportedly close  to  signing  for  Galatasaray  where he flourished on loan last season  even as the  Turkish side are still locked  in negotiation with Napoli.

While many fans and pundits believe that at just 26, Osimhen is too young to move to Saudi Arabia and cash in, Ighalo holds a different view.

“I want to share my opinion, even if people criticize me for it — I don’t care,” Ighalo said during a podcast with former Big Brother Naija housemate, Teddy A. “Victor Osimhen was the Serie A top scorer at Napoli and helped them win the league for the first time in 33 years. He’s now won the league again in Turkey with Galatasaray and finished as top scorer. He has also been named African Footballer of the Year.

 “My advice to him is simple: go to Saudi Arabia, play for two years, secure the bag, and then come back to Europe. It won’t end his career — it will only set him up even better for the future,” noted the former Manchester United striker who has spent the past four years in the Saudi Pro League.

Incidentally, Napoli and Galatasaray  are yet to finalize a deal for Osimhen  even after the Turkish champions reportedly provided the vexed of credit to ensure that they will pay in full for the impending sale of the Nigeria international.

For the second summer in a row, Osimhen has been seeking a permanent move away from Napoli.

After seeing a deal collapse on deadline day last summer, Osimhen  ended up on loan with Galatasaray and is now pushing to return to Istanbul on a permanent basis.

The €75m release clause in the player’s contract has since expired, but Galatasaray and Napoli are proceeding with a deal for the same price tag regardless.

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Napoli would like an up-front fee close to the €50m mark and for the remaining €25m to be paid by the end of 2026 at the latest.

According to Football Italia , Napoli could eventually settle for a slightly reduced initial fee, as long as the rest of the €75m price tag is paid within a year.

The two clubs were in contact again on Wednesday to discuss the deal, and Galatasaray have since informed Napoli that they are now able to provide a letter of credit from the bank, which will ensure that the Partenopei are paid in full for Osimhen’s services.

While the two parties are moving ever closer to closing a deal, it could still take a few more days due to the bureaucratic processes involved.

Alfredo is one of the most highly respected football journalists in Italy, breaking many of the biggest transfer news stories, interviewing the very best players and managers and presenting his analysis on numerous football programmes on Italian television.

Napoli VP threatened via WhatsApp

By Joshua Osinowo

In a dramatic twist to one of this summer’s biggest transfer sagas, Turkish giants Galatasaray have will reportedly  make a new offer to Napoli for Victor Osimhen today.

According to  Football Italia, the provisions would include the requested financial guarantees and payment schedule for the €75m deal. Though the release clause has now expired, the Partenopei are still not prepared to drop below that figure of €75m.

The Italian outlet claimed  Galatasaray had agreed to pay it a week ago but both clubs  were unable to  sort out the way the payment would be spread out and the timing of those instalments.

Yesterday,  both clubs reportedly made direct calls where Galatasaray confirmed they would soon send a formal offer that should satisfy the Napoli demands.

That means both the necessary financial guarantees and crucially that the full figure will be handed over within 12 months of the transfer, so in July 2026. It was also noted that  Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis also wants to receive close to €50m straight away, with the rest in those instalments.

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Meanwhile, Napoli vice president Edoardo De Laurentiis, son of club owner Aurelio, has reportedly received death threats over Osimhen’s possible transfer to Galatasaray.

 According to Football Italia, Turkish journalist Samet Çayır published a WhatsApp chat between Edo De Laurentiis and an alleged Galatasaray supporter who warned him to let Osimhen go to avoid ugly consequences for him and his father.

The alleged Galatasaray fan introduced himself as a member of the Turkish Mafia before sending sickening death threats to the De Laurentiis family.

Osimhen spent the last season on loan at Galatasaray and is eager to make his move permanent, but the two clubs have been in talks over his transfer fee for more than a week.

Galatasaray are close to finalising a deal to sign Victor Osimhen on a permanent basis and they have scheduled fresh talks with Napoli in order to reach a full agreement.

The Nigeria international has agreed personal terms with Galatasaray and he is now expected to join the club permanently following a successful loan spell with the Istanbul giants last season.

Al-Hilal were eager to bring Osimhen to Saudi Arabia this summer, however the 26-year-old has opted to reject a contract proposal worth a whopping €160 million in order to complete a return to Galatasaray.

Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United have also been linked with Osimhen over the past few months, but the Nigeria superstar has snubbed the chance to move to the Premier League this summer.

A deal between Galatasaray and Napoli hasn’t yet been finalised, although transfer news expert Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that both clubs are currently locked in negotiations.

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He posted on X: “New direct talks underway today for Osimhen deal ahead of crucial week.

“Galatasaray bid on the table: €40m now plus €17.5m and €17.5m in installments. Napoli are open to this solution but insist on different payment terms and bank guarantees.”

Osimhen’s current contract at Napoli includes a €75m release clause and the Serie A giants are eager for Galatasaray to pay this fee in as little payments as possible.

The 26-year-old scored 37 goals and provided eight assists in 41 appearances for Galatasaray last season, and Napoli are interested in signing Darwin Nunez as his replacement.

Italian Serie A side Napoli have reached an agreement with Galatasaray for the transfer of Nigeria international forward Victor Osimhen for a fee in the region of €75m, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Both clubs have been locked in negotiations for the past two days after the Nigerian picked the team as his preferred destination ahead of Saudi Arabia side Al-Hilal. The talks went on yesterday without a resolution.

Napoli insisted on getting a bank guarantee for the payment of the transfer fee after agreeing for it to be paid in installments. The Turkish side will pay €40m in cash with the balance of €35m to be paid in installments for the next three years, which reminds many fans of how staggered payments often work in online platforms like Ufabet.

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Galatasaray agreed to provide Napoli with a bank guarantee letter and if it sits well with the Italian side after a review, Osimhen will be allowed to travel to Istanbul for his medical and subsequent unveiling on a permanent deal.

After a successful time on loan last season, he will be expected to help the club retain the league and cup they won last season, and also do well in Europe after the disappointment in the Europa League last season.

Delegates from Galatasaray reportedly finished a meeting in Italy yesterday  to discuss the deal for Napoli-owned striker Victor Osimhen, following the Turkish’s side’s decision to pay the full €75m release clause in the Nigeria international’s contract.

Galatasaray vice-President Abdullah Kavukcu and George Gardi, the intermediary working on the deal, have been in Italy and have recently concluded a meeting with representatives from Napoli to discuss the details of a deal for Osimhen.

Footage from Gianluca Di Marzio shows the Galatasaray entourage leaving their meeting in Italy on Wednesday afternoon.

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 “We’re working on it, let’s see how it goes,” were the comments provided by intermediary Gardi. “There is a desire, evidently. Let’s see,” he added.

Osimhen spent the 2024-25 season on loan in Istanbul after seeing a permanent move away from Napoli fall through on the final day of the transfer window in the summer of 2024.

Having chipped in with 37 goals and eight assists from 41 appearances across all competitions in the season just gone, Galatasaray are keen to keep the Nigeria international on board on a permanent basis.