From Victor Osimhen to Galatasaray: What you need to know and the Nigerian connection

The move comes after Napoli dropped the 25-year-old striker, banning him from the team and declaring him surplus to their plans.

With transfers across Europe failing and the transfer window closing, Galatasaray emerged as a lifeline for Osimhen, offering him a fresh start.

The news broke on Monday and caused a stir in the football world. Napoli’s position on Osimhen was clear: they have no intention of reintegrating him into the team.

However, the determined striker has found a new home in Istanbul.

Galatasaray fans are eagerly awaiting the arrival of Osimhen.

Excitement reached its peak as fans lined the streets eagerly awaiting to see the reigning African football of the year.

Galatasaray added to the frenzy by live-streaming Osimhen’s flight to Istanbul on its official YouTube channel, capturing fans’ hearts with nearly an hour of footage.

Osimhen’s transfer to Galatasaray is temporary, with the following key details:

Prior to the loan, Osimhen signed a one-year contract extension with Napoli.

This was done to protect his market value and remove certain clauses from his previous deal, setting his release clause at €75 million.

The transfer is purely a loan with no option or obligation for Galatasaray to make the transfer permanent.

Osimhen can leave Istanbul in January if a permanent offer meets Napoli’s demands.

The Turkish club will cover Osimhen’s salary, which is between 9 and 10 million euros, during his stay.

For Osimhen, the loan to Galatasaray is an opportunity to stay active and maintain his form, avoiding the risk of being left out and seeing his value decrease.

Galatasaray’s Europa League campaign also offers Osimhen a platform to showcase his talents on the continental stage, something he would have missed at Napoli.

Galatasaray are also strong contenders in the Turkish Süper Lig, having made a perfect start to the season with three wins from three games.

Victor Osimhen joins a select group of Nigerian players who have worn the Galatasaray shirt, as he will not be the first.

Here are some other Nigerians who have grown old at the club.

The retired Super Eagles striker had a brief stint at Galatasaray during the 1991/92 season.

Although he did not score, Iorfa provided three assists in nine appearances before moving to Peterborough United in England.

He played 21 games for Nigeria during his career.

Ozornwafor made a big step up when he joined Galatasaray in 2019 from top Nigerian side Enyimba. Unfortunately, he failed to make an impact in Turkey and spent most of his time on loan.

In three years, he only made one appearance for Galatasaray.

Peter Etebo.

Etebo joined Galatasaray on a season-long loan in 2020 after finding limited playing time at Stoke City.

He made 29 appearances, helping the team to a second-place finish in the Süper Lig, narrowly missing out on the title to Beşiktaş.

Onyekuru enjoyed his best footballing years at Galatasaray, where he spent three successful seasons on loan from Everton. During his stay, he played a crucial role in the club’s domestic double.

In total, Onyekuru scored 22 goals and provided 12 assists in 71 appearances, also winning the Turkish Süper Lig and League Cup.