Nigerian forward Victor Osimhen appears to be nearing a decision on his next destination as he has reportedly agreed to a loan move to Turkish club Galatasaray.
Despite being close to signing with Chelsea in the final days of the transfer window, the 25-year-old turned down a significantly lower salary offer from the Premier League club.
While there were rumours of a potential transfer to Saudi Arabia, the interested party Al-Ahli chose to sign Ivan Toney from Brentford instead.
Upon his return to Italy, Osimhen was excluded from the squad for the 2024-25 Serie A season, and his shirt number was given to Romelu Lukaku, who had arrived from Chelsea.
Napoli manager Antonio Conte had previously acknowledged an agreement to allow the Nigerian striker to leave in the summer, but with no concrete offers materialising, his options are now very limited.
A move to the Super Lig on loan may be Osimhen’s only chance to play before the transfer window reopens in January. It seems he will be joining former Napoli teammate Dries Mertens at Galatasaray.
Reports say the two clubs have agreed on the loan deal, which does not include an option to buy. Osimhen has not yet given his final approval as he considers the move. The alternative is not playing any football for almost four months, which could impact his chances of securing a move to a top club in the future.
Unlike most other European countries, Turkey’s transfer window remains open until September 13, giving Galatasaray ample time to finalise the proposed loan deal.
