Victor Osimhen landed in Istanbul in the early hours of this morning, where he was greeted by hundreds of excited fans following his spectacular move to Turkish club Galatasaray, with whom the Nigerian Napoli striker will sign in the next few hours his new contract to play in the Turkish league.
‘It feels good, it feels good. The atmosphere is unbelievable. They are one of the best fans in the world. It’s good to be here. I feel really excited. I can’t wait to see the fans on the pitch, and I can’t wait to hear them scream when I score. I’m ready to give them my best,’ Osimhen said in his first comments to reporters after leaving the airport terminal.
The former Napoli player, with whom he broke up after several internal disagreements, will wear the Lions shirt until at least June 2025, and there he will also be reunited with an old team-mate, Dries Mertens, who played for the Italian side until signing for Galata in 2022. ‘I spoke to him before I came and I can’t wait to play with him. He has helped me a lot,’ Osimhen said.
The signing of the Nigerian has been one of the biggest surprises on the international market in recent hours. Osimhen has a market value of 100 million euros, making him the fifth most expensive striker. The reigning Turkish Super League champions managed to successfully conclude the deal after an express negotiation with Napoli and after negotiations failed between the Italian club and the Al-Ahli of Saudi Arabia, who did not accept Napoli’s asking price of 85 million euros.
Nor did a possible transfer to Premier League’s Chelsea come to fruition. In the end, it was Galatasaray who managed to secure the services of Osimhen, who will be officially presented in the next few hours in Istanbul. The Nigerian, for whom the Turkish club has paid 10 million euros, arrives on loan for one season without option to buy, and his signing is a real boost for Galatasaray, who is aiming to renew its league title this season.
VOTE
EDITORIAL TEAM
🧿 About us
.
Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
…
📣 Your ADVERTISING on Hispanatolia
.
🤗 HELP US WITH A DONATION:
💗 Paypal
