Victor Osimhen moves to Galatasaray on a dry loan from Napoli until June 2025. There have been two requests from the Nigerian striker and his entourage to keep the door open for the January market: one of these is to lower the value of the release clause.
Victor Osimhen has accepted the loan transfer from Napoli to Galatasaray but is requesting specific guarantees before signing and departing for Istanbul. The Nigerian striker and his entourage reportedly urged a modification of the initial agreements. Osimhen is officially transferring to Galatasaray on a dry loan until June 30, 2025, with his salary fully covered by the Turks. But according to market expert Fabrizio Romano, until last night, Osimhen and his agents were waiting before departing for Istanbul. They wanted confirmation on the last two requests made to Napoli and Galatasaray regarding a potential transfer in January to another club.
Osimhen’s requests to Napoli and Galatasaray for the dry loan
Osimhen is reportedly asking that the release clause from Napoli be reduced to 75/80 million rather than 130. In this case, as highlighted by Sky, the Naples club would secure the option to extend his contract until 2027, which they will exercise if they do not sell the player by June 2025 with the same salary. For the Nigerian striker, there should also be a release clause in anticipation of the January market in case a top club decides to propose a transfer.
In this regard, Galatasaray would have approved this specific request but clearly asked for compensation for his potential premature departure before the loan expiration set for June 2025. In that case, Napoli would then need to finalize the agreement made with the Turks and negotiate with the potential other club.
Osimhen in the Napoli jersey.
The Galatasaray strategy to bring Osimhen to Turkey
A clause strongly desired by the player that keeps the door open for January. Both Chelsea and PSG showed interest in Osimhen, and probably the Nigerian striker would have preferred one of these clubs to play in the new Champions and remain in more important European leagues than the Turkish one. Until last night, the vice president of Galatasaray, Ibrahim Hatipoglu, and the club director, Cenk Ergun, were in Italy working to finalize discussions before flying the striker to Istanbul on a private jet after concluding the transfer with these last details integrated into the agreement.
Osimhen and Conte during the first days of the new Napoli 2024/2025 retreat.
The Galatasaray opportunity for Osimhen that could prevent a completely stalled season
The opportunity with Galatasaray has been effectively one of the last transfer possibilities for Osimhen after the failed negotiation with the Arabs from Al Ahli which fell through right at the last moment. Osimhen, however, did not seem fully convinced about the deal despite a monstrous salary. Now on his path is Galatasaray, which guarantees him a central role, especially due to Icardi’s injury, preventing him from the specter of spending at least the next 6 months before January on the sidelines at Napoli, out of the squad, and without the chance to play, living a situation like a separated spouse.