Napoli striker Victor Osimhen is on the verge of joining Galatasaray after the former Italian champions and the player agreed on a loan move to the Turkish giants on Monday.
After his failed move to Chelsea, the 25-year-old still has a lifeline of moving out of Napoli as the Turkish transfer window closes on September 13.
Italian publication Corriere dello Sport reported the story on Monday, and some Nigerian sources close to the player, including Wazobia FM OAP, Buchi Laba, and Sulaiman Adebayo, also known as Pooja, shared updates as the deal moved rapidly.
Sky Sport Italia and RMC Sport also claimed that Napoli gave the all-clear to a dry loan—without an option to buy—as long as Galatasaray covered his full salary of nearly €11m per season.
The alternative would’ve been for the Turkish club to pay a fee for the loan but have the wages shared between them.
Napoli director of sport Giovanni Manna also told Sports Digitale in Turkey, “It is correct to say we are in talks with Galatasaray and we are close to an agreement.”
According to Pooja Media, both clubs also agreed that the player’s €130m release clause might be triggered by potential suitors from January 2025.
Osimhen was also said to be enthusiastic about the idea of joining Galatasaray after being faced with the prospect of having to sit in the stands until the transfer window opens in January.
Before the end of the summer transfer deadline last Friday, the EPL was Osimhen’s preferred destination, but the 25-year-old couldn’t compromise his wage demands, as Chelsea offered him just €4m per year plus €4m, which is attached to performance, compared to his €12m annual income at Napoli.
Napoli were also said to have agreed a €70m plus €10m in bonuses with Al-Ahli, with the player receiving €40m per-season wages and crucially also an affordable release clause for a return to Europe in the near future, but the Partenopei asked for an extra €5m, which irritated the Saudis.
After both deals failed, Napoli were adamant he would not be welcomed back into the squad, also because they insist it was the Nigeria international who declared months ago he no longer wanted to play for them.
He will be reunited with former Partenopei teammate Dries Mertens in Istanbul.
Although Osimhen had wanted a Champions League team, he will still be able to compete in the Europa League with Galatasaray, who are facing Tottenham Hotspur and Ajax in the tournament.
