Osimhen seals Gala loan amid Napoli exile

Title: Victor Osimhen Secures One-Season Loan to Galatasaray Amid Napoli Exile

In a surprising move, Nigerian forward Victor Osimhen has secured a one-season loan to Galatasaray after being exiled from the Serie A squad of Italian football club Napoli. Despite his impressive performances in the 2022-23 season that helped Napoli win the Scudetto, Osimhen had requested a move away from the club. The striker was linked with English Premier League side Chelsea and Saudi Arabian club Al-Ahli; however, neither deal materialized due to wage demands and reluctance to move to the Middle East.

Galatasaray stepped in just ahead of the Turkish Super Lig transfer window closing on 13 September, agreeing to cover Osimhen's entire salary for the duration of his loan stint. The Turkish giants have also included a break clause for January in the deal. In exchange, Napoli has reportedly lowered Osimhen's release clause from £130 million to £80 million, preparing for a potential future sale. Furthermore, Napoli now holds an option to extend Osimhen's contract by 12 months to protect his value if they cannot sell him in the upcoming year.

Since joining Napoli from French club Lille in 2020, Osimhen has scored an impressive 65 league goals, ranking 12th in the team's all-time Serie A scoring charts. The forward netted 15 times during the injury-affected 2023-24 campaign and scored 26 goals in the previous season when Napoli won their first Scudetto title since the legendary Diego Maradona led the club to victory in 1987.