Osimhen seals Galatasaray loan after being exiled by Napoli

Victor Osimhen has sealed a one-season loan move to Galatasaray after being exiled from Napoli’s Serie A squad.

Last month, Napoli director Giovanni Manna confirmed Osimhen had requested a move away from the club, who he helped win the Scudetto in 2022-23.

Osimhen was linked with Chelsea and Al-Ahli, yet the Blues were reportedly unwilling to meet his wage demands and the striker was reluctant to move to Saudi Arabia.

It appeared as though Osimhen may have to sit out four months before seeking a move, but Galatasaray have moved to bring him in ahead of the Turkish Super Lig transfer window closing on September 13.

The Istanbul giants will cover the entirety of Osimhen’s wages, and there will be a break clause for January present in the deal.

In a statement announcing the move, Galatasaray confirmed they will pay no loan fee for Osimhen, who they said will earn a salary of €6million.

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— Galatasaray SK (@GalatasaraySK) September 4, 2024

Napoli, meanwhile, have reportedly reached an agreement with Osimhen to lower his release clause from €130million to €80m as they prepare for a future sale.

The Partenopei have also confirmed they now hold an option to extend Osimhen’s contract, which runs until 2026, by 12 months to protect his value if they are unable to sell him next year.

Osimhen has scored 65 league goals for Napoli since joining from Lille in 2020, ranking 12th in their all-time Serie A scoring charts.

He netted 15 times during an injury-affected 2023-24 campaign, having scored 26 times as they were crowned champions of Italy for the first time in the post-Diego Maradona era the previous season.