Victor Osimhen joins Galatasaray on loan: How the Napoli striker found a place in an unexpected new home

Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen has agreed a deal with Turkish team Galatasaray and will leave Napoli on loan for the current 2024-25 season. Osimhen is now set to join Galatasaray by next summer after the Turkish team agreed to cover Osimhen’s wages for the upcoming year. Napoli and Galatasaray have agreed on a free loan deal, with no purchase option included in the agreement. Also, Napoli and Osimhen have reduced the current release clause to €75 million, with the club having the option to extend the deal until 2027.

The Italian team was not able to sell Osimhen during the summer 2024 transfer window. Despite agreeing on a new deal until the summer of 2026 last December, Osimhen decided he wanted to part ways with Napoli this summer. The Italian club agreed to let him go, also considering that he has a release clause of €135 million in his contract, but the player was unable to find a new team. Napoli’s new manager Antonio Conte immediately understood the situation and pressured Napoli to sign striker Romelu Lukaku before selling Osimhen.

With the transfer window deadline approaching, Napoli were unable to reach an agreement with any club, most notably despite interest and offers coming from Al-Ahly and Chelsea. After the window ended, the Azzurri were unable to include Osimhen on the roster as well as accept him not being available for selection due to the club leaving him off the Serie A roster.

The Nigerian didn’t have many options and Galatasaray emerged as the strongest candidate in the final hours as the Turkish transfer window was still open. Osimhen is now set to leave Napoli for one season unless the Azzurri reach an agreement with another team in the summer of 2025. Osimhen’s story is now over, at least for now.