Victor Osimhen’s Record Transfer To Galatasaray Changes Turkish Soccer

Osimhen has turned his loan move into a permanent transfer.

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Wearing a protective mask after seriously injuring his face during a match in 2021, Victor Osimhen may as well have been gliding around with a cape for Napoli as the club won the Serie A title in 2022/23. Nigeria’s superhero striker hit 26 goals in 32 league appearances, and his prolific form continued following a loan switch to Turkish giant Galatasaray in 2024.

Now, he’s signed permanently for Galatasaray. Osimhen has agreed to a four-year stay, with the Istanbul club paying Napoli €75 million ($86 million). It makes him the most expensive arrival in Süper Lig history by some distance. As it stands, Orkun Kökçü will move second on the list when he formally joins Beşiktaş from Benfica in a €25 million move ($29 million) next July.

The best players tend to grace the Premier League, Bundesliga, La Liga, Serie A, and the highest-profile divisions across Europe. All the while, the Turkish top flight has built a reputation for attracting stars in their twilight years or bringing in talents looking to relaunch their careers after finding themselves at a dead end with their previous employers. Omishen is an anomaly.

So, how did we reach this point?

Osimhen was at Lille before joining Napoli, where he shot to prominence.

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Osimhen Finds The Sweet Spot In Türkiye

Arriving back to a hero’s welcome in Türkiye, Osimhen reportedly said“I don’t know how to describe my feelings. I’m so excited to arrive at a place I love. I’m home and I’m very happy. I’m glad to be back here. I was offered a lot of money, but my love for Galatasaray is greater.”

Those words do a pretty good job of explaining why one of the world’s best forwards is playing in the Süper Lig and not with one of the big hitters on the continent, with all due respect to Galatasaray. Money plays a big part; Osimhen’s wage demands have always been high, and while most professional clubs’ players have a steep tax percentage on their wages, it’s a modest 20% for the top athletes in Türkiye.

Bearing that in mind, Galatasaray has been willing to pay Osimhen a desirable salary, from which he doesn’t have to earn less. It even revealed the figures as a guaranteed net €15 million ($17 million) per year, plus a €1 million ($1.1 million) loyalty bonus for every season he remains at the RAMS Park.

It wouldn’t be a shock if this transfer has come down to more than Galatasaray’s desire. Türkiye loves a new superstar, while officials and sponsors know the value of a name like Osimhen—at the peak of his powers—who can bolster the league’s marketability. Not quite in the same way Lionel Messi has transformed Major League Soccer, but still massively.

From Osimhen’s standpoint, he will once again feel the supporters’ tribal energy, Turkish soccer’s bewitching characteristic. Having found a club where he’s ideally remunerated and idolized by animated supporters, a niche he may not have located as easily elsewhere, he’s taken a distinct path and created a new narrative. Osimhen and Galatasaray have formed a special partnership, and the league now has a different dimension.