Transfers: Jubilation in Istanbul as Osimhen agrees Galatasaray loan deal

Thousands of Galatasaray supporters welcomed Victor Osimhen in Istanbul, despite the late hour of 3 a.m., as he finalised his loan move from Napoli.

The Super Eagles striker’s transfer saga, which dominated the Summer Transfer window, has finally ended.

Osimhen was heavily linked to top clubs like Chelsea and PSG and Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli before ultimately joining Galatasaray on a season-long loan.

The move comes after he was ostracised from the Napoli team following the signing of Romelu Lukaku, sparking concerns that he would be relegated to the bench until the January transfer window.

However, Osimhen and his team successfully negotiated another deal, ensuring the striker remains active.

As revealed by football expert Fabrizio Romano, the contract details include a €75m release clause, with Napoli retaining the option to extend the contract until June 2027 if they fail to sell Osimhen by June 2025.

The loan move to Galatasaray will last until June 2025, with the Turkish club covering Osimhen’s €9/10m salary.

Notably, there is no buy option or obligation in the deal.

Osimhen joined Napoli from Lille in September 2020 for €79m, scoring 76 goals with 18 assists in 133 games.

He will undergo medical tests on Tuesday morning, in time for his registration in Galatasaray’s Europa League squad.

Galatasaray have enjoyed the services of Nigerian players in times past with the likes of Henry Onyekuru, Oghenekaro Etebo and a handful of others turning up for the Istanbul based club.

In a traditional move, Galatasaray late Monday night announced that they had “started negotiations” with Napoli for Osimhen, a step they typically take when a deal is practically done.