Victor Osimhen's loan deal from Napoli to Galatasaray is announced
Napoli's Victor Osimhen, left, attempts to block Inter's Francesco Acerbi as Acerbi kicks the ball during a Serie A soccer match between Napoli and Inter at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona stadium, Naples, Italy, Sunday Dec. 3, 2023. Credit: AP/Alessandro Garofalo
ISTANBUL — Victor Osimhen finally found a way out of Napoli when a loan deal with Turkish club Galatasaray was announced on Wednesday.
Napoli said the deal lasts through the end of the season, and that Osimhen also extended his contract with the Italian club for one more year, through 2026-27.
“I’m excited to be here and I can’t wait to see you at the stadium. Let’s go,” Osimhen said on Instagram while wearing a Galatasaray shirt inside his new ground.
The Nigeria forward had been linked to Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Saudi club Al-Ahli in recent weeks and months but the transfer window in Europe’s biggest leagues closed last week without a deal for him.
The Turkish league transfer window doesn’t close until Sept. 13 and Galatasaray suddenly needed help at center forward following an injury to Mauro Icardi.
Fans lined the streets during the middle of the night when Osimhen arrived in Istanbul early Tuesday morning.
Osimhen scored 26 goals when Napoli won Serie A in 2023, but he has also consistently been slowed by injuries throughout his career.
SS Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, right, arrives with team President Aurelio De Laurentiis, at the Foreign Press club to receive the "Best Foreign Athlete of the Year" award, in Rome, Monday, March 6, 2023. Credit: AP/Gregorio Borgia
Osimhen hasn’t been training with Napoli, which had already replaced him by signing Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea — reuniting the Belgium striker with coach Antonio Conte after the pair won Serie A at Inter Milan.
At 25, Osimhen still has a lot of years left to play top-level soccer. Known for his aerial prowess and face mask, he has scored a total of 76 goals in 133 matches across all competitions for Napoli since joining in a club-record 70 million euro transfer ($77 million) four years ago.
Osimhen grew frustrated last season when Napoli finished 10th during its title defense — a campaign in which he scored 15 Serie A goals.
At Galatasaray, Osimhen will be reunited with Napoli’s all-time leading scorer Dries Mertens.
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