Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen has signed a deal with Turkish side Galatasaray and will leave Napoli on loan for the current 2024/2025 season. Osimhen will now join Galatasaray until next summer after the Turkish team agreed to cover Osimhen’s salary for the coming year. Napoli and Galatasaray have agreed to a free loan deal, with no purchase option included in the agreement. At the same time, Napoli and Osimhen reduced the current release clause to €75 million, with the club’s option to extend the deal until 2027.

The Italian team were unable to sell Osimhen during the 2024 summer transfer window. Despite agreeing a new contract until the summer of 2026 last December, Osimhen decided to part ways with Napoli this summer. The Italian club agreed to let him leave, also considering that he has a €135 million release clause in the contract, but the player could not find a new team. Napoli’s new manager Antonio Conte immediately understood the situation and pressured Napoli to sign striker Romelu Lukaku before selling Osimhen.

Despite the transfer window deadline approaching, Napoli were unable to reach an agreement with any club despite interest and offers from Al-Ahli and Chelsea in particular. The Azzurri were unable to accept after the end of the window that Osimhen was on the squad but unavailable for selection as the club excluded him from the Serie A list.

The Nigerian had little choice and Galatasaray emerged as the strongest candidate in the last hours as the Turkish transfer window was still open. Osimhen will now leave Napoli for one season until the Azzurri can find a deal with another team in the summer of 2025. The Osimhen saga is over for now.