Will Victor Osimhen Leave Galatasaray?

A striking statement about its star striker came from Nigeria national team head coach Eric Chelle. The Mali-rooted French manager, at the press conference where he announced the squad for the Super Eagles' friendly matches against Poland and Portugal on June 5 and 9, dropped the bombshell while answering questions about Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman, who were not called up. Chelle stated he did not include Osimhen because the Galatasaray star "intends to change clubs in the summer transfer window" — such an open statement from a national team coach about a player's future plans is rarely seen.

Chelle's expression at the press conference was short but clear: "We have two matches, Poland and Portugal; we had a lot of problems because some players didn't even have visas. We didn't call Osimhen because he intends to change his team this summer." The statement will undoubtedly create echoes on the Galatasaray side; the Yellow-Red administration has repeatedly announced in recent months that Osimhen is not for sale. Club president Dursun Özbek had placed his position openly in his latest statement to HT Spor with the words "We don't consider selling an important player, Osimhen is important for Galatasaray." Even a few weeks ago, vice-president Abdullah Kavukçu responded to Barcelona claims with "Not a single official offer has come."

Osimhen himself had said in an interview two months ago "Galatasaray is a real home for me." This word, combined with Chelle's statement, creates a contradictory picture. Osimhen, as a professional player, may be doing interest bargaining, may have conveyed his personal intention to the national team coach differently; or the dialogue between the club and the player may have moved beyond what has been said. The counter-statement from Galatasaray's side in the coming days will help make the picture clearer.

Osimhen's Galatasaray adventure had begun when he came to Istanbul on loan from Napoli in summer 2024, and he quickly rose to legendary status. In the 2024-25 season he spent on loan, he scored exactly 37 goals in 41 matches, becoming the attacking star of Süper Lig's top team. At the end of that season, the club triggered Napoli's €75 million buy-out clause — €40 million upfront, €35 million by summer 2026. The agreement also included a 10 percent sell-on clause for Napoli and a €70 million penalty clause preventing his return to Serie A teams for two years (this summer €70M, next summer €50M, then nullified). The contract was signed for four years, and Osimhen entered the lists as the highest transfer fee in Turkish football history.

The 2025-26 season after the permanent transfer was also extraordinary for the Nigerian. In Süper Lig he carried the team to a second consecutive championship with 22 goals and 8 assists. In the Champions League he took the team to the last 16 and earned the title of Galatasaray's all-time leading foreign scorer in European competitions. Despite being eliminated against PSG in the last 16 tie, the European public talked again about Osimhen's elite-level performance. Okan Buruk in an interview after the Turkish Cup also revealed the financial dimension of his transfer by saying Osimhen's salary "is almost big enough to build a team."

Now as the summer transfer window approaches, the clubs lined up at the door for Osimhen are impressive: Chelsea has placed the Nigerian at the top of its list in the new era under Xabi Alonso, and according to Fotomac the player's agent recently landed in Istanbul. Arsenal and Manchester United are following from the Premier League front. Barcelona continues its interest, while Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid are also among the names mentioned. The claim that Luis Enrique's stance towards the Nigerian has changed is circulating in the French media for PSG. Juventus has a difficult task: due to the Serie A clause, they would have to pay an extra €70 million this summer. Galatasaray's demand is at a legendary level: according to some reports, an offer of less than €100 million won't even reach the table, with figures up to €150 million being mentioned.

So let's return to the title: Will Victor Osimhen leave Galatasaray? Chelle's statement weighed in on the "yes" side, but the Galatasaray president and the player's own words say "no." The answer will be given in the coming few weeks — especially from mid-June onwards; but it is already clear that the most talked-about name in this summer's transfer arena will be the Nigerian star.

🖼️ Image: Victor Osimhen celebrating in the Galatasaray shirt — africatopsports.com