Galatasaray president Dursun Özbek has shut down any possibility of selling Victor Osimhen this summer, revealing extraordinary details about the personal financial sacrifices he made to bring the Super Eagles striker to Istanbul on a permanent basis.
Osimhen joined Galatasaray on a permanent deal last summer for a transfer fee of €75 million, the largest single player spend in Turkish football history. No club in the Süper Lig had previously crossed even the €20 million threshold for a single transfer. Napoli, who held Osimhen’s contract, also demanded that the buying club provide a financial guarantee, a condition Özbek described as completely unprecedented in his experience of overseeing major transfers. As reported by FootballInNigeria.com.ng, Özbek used a UniCredit bank connection to satisfy those conditions and personally contributed €35 million from his own company to push the deal through.
“I’ve never seen anything like that before,” Özbek said of the guarantees Napoli demanded. “We paid part of it upfront, and I provided part from my own company. €35 million from my own company. In that sense, it was a very difficult transfer. Osimhen showed with his performance that he deserved this money.” The president closed the door firmly on any exit, adding: “We don’t intend to sell Victor Osimhen. Putting a price on a player you don’t intend to sell is like dressing a footballer before he’s even born.”
Nigerian fans tracking Osimhen’s transfer saga through the summer window can follow the latest odds and developments using the how to claim your Bet9ja bonus page before the window opens.
A Season That Justified Every Cent
The gamble has paid off handsomely for the Istanbul club. In the 2024-25 season while on loan, Osimhen finished as Süper Lig top scorer with 26 goals and helped Galatasaray win both the league title and the Turkish Cup. His performances on loan were so impressive that Galatasaray felt compelled to break their own transfer records to make the move permanent.
In the 2025-26 campaign, Osimhen finished as the club’s top scorer across all competitions with 20 goals, including a Champions League hat-trick against Ajax in November 2025, the first by a Super Eagles player in the competition since Yakubu scored for Maccabi Haifa in 2002. Galatasaray reached the Champions League round of 16 before losing to Liverpool, and secured a fourth successive Süper Lig title. Osimhen also broke the record for the most league goals scored by a foreign player in Galatasaray’s history, surpassing the legendary Gheorghe Hagi. Transfer window punters who want to back whether Osimhen stays or leaves can check out the Bet9ja’s current promo code for an improved opening offer.
Europe’s Elite Continue to Circle
Despite Özbek’s statement, the interest from across Europe has not cooled. Chelsea are currently the most prominent Premier League club in the running, with former Nigeria captain John Obi Mikel among those publicly encouraging the move to Stamford Bridge. Manchester United, Arsenal and Newcastle United are also monitoring the situation. In Spain, both Real Madrid and Barcelona have admired Osimhen, while Atletico Madrid’s Diego Simeone reportedly views the Nigerian as a natural fit for his system. Juventus, AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain have also been linked.
The stumbling block for all interested parties is Galatasaray’s asking price. Reports indicate the club would demand in excess of €100 million to part with Osimhen, a figure that would surpass the original purchase price and reflect both his performances and the broader transfer inflation attached to elite strikers. His salary demands are also said to be significant. For the 27 year old Super Eagles captain, the next few months could still produce a surprise, with clubs monitoring his situation closely as the window approaches. Fans can track the latest transfer odds using the Bet9ja promo code today page for the best available welcome offer.
For now, Özbek’s words leave no room for negotiation. Galatasaray built their future around Osimhen at enormous personal and institutional cost, and they have no intention of moving on from a player who has already delivered on every promise made at the time of signing.
📌 Did You Know?
- Osimhen’s €75 million move to Galatasaray in 2025 was not only the biggest transfer in Turkish football history but also the most expensive signing ever completed by an African club or league.
- During his first loan spell at Galatasaray in 2024-25, Osimhen scored 37 goals across all competitions, making him the most prolific single-season scorer in the club’s recent history.
- Galatasaray president Dursun Özbek personally contributed €35 million from his own company to fund the permanent transfer of Osimhen, a level of personal financial involvement that is exceptionally rare in modern football.
- Osimhen’s Champions League hat-trick against Ajax in November 2025 was the first by a Nigerian player in the competition since Yakubu Aiyegbeni scored one for Maccabi Haifa against Olympiacos in September 2002, a gap of 23 years.
- With his 60th league goal for Galatasaray this season, Osimhen broke the club record for most Süper Lig goals by a foreign player, surpassing Romanian legend Gheorghe Hagi’s long-standing mark.
- Former Nigeria captain John Obi Mikel has publicly backed a Chelsea move for Osimhen. Mikel spent a decade at Chelsea between 2006 and 2017, winning the Premier League, FA Cup, Champions League and Europa League with the club.
- Prior to his move to Napoli in 2020, Osimhen had spells at Wolfsburg in Germany and Sporting Charleroi in Belgium, as well as a season at Lille in France where he scored 18 goals and set up his big-money Serie A move.
