Galatasaray Announce Osimhen Signing With Mask Video As Record Crowd Gathers in Istanbul
- Galatasaray have made their first announcement confirming that they have signed Victor Osimhen
- The Turkish champions overcame Napoli’s tough stance to sign the Super Eagles striker permanently
- The club will broadcast his flight tracking schedule from Germany to Istanbul live for their fans to follow
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Galatasaray have made a short announcement confirming the signing of striker Victor Osimhen permanently from Italian Serie A champions Napoli.
This ends a two-year long saga and weeks-long negotiation for the Nigerian striker to leave Napoli after five years and move permanently to Turkey.
Source: Getty Images
Galatasaray teased the striker’s arrival on their official X page, with a video of his trademark mask sending their fans into frenzy ahead of his arrival.
The Super Eagles forward is expected to arrive at the Atatürk Airport in Istanbul at 9:30pm local time, with a record number of fans waiting for him.
The Turkish champions also confirmed that they will broadcast his flight tracking on their official app and YouTube page for their fans to follow him.
Club's vice president Abdullah Kavukcu joined the striker in Germany and both will fly into Istanbul alongside his entourage for the formalities to complete the deal.
Osimhen’s transfer saga with Napoli
Napoli signed Victor Osimhen from LOSC Lille in the summer of 2020 after just a season at the French club, during which he scored 13 goals before COVID-19 truncated the season.
According to BBC Sports, Napoli paid €81 million, a club record and a record transfer for an African player, an investment which eventually paid off.
He helped the club win their first Italian Serie A title in 33 years during the 2022/23 season, also winning the Capocannoniere with 26 goals.
He first communicated his desire to leave to the club, particularly fueled by title-winning manager Luciano Spalletti’s departure after disagreement with Aurelio De Laurentiis.
The Super Eagles star, despite his desire to leave, extended his contract with an improved salary and it eventually proved costly in securing a move away.
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As noted by beIN Sport, he reiterated his desire to leave in the summer of 2024 and vowed to never play for the club again after the official TikTok account trolled him after a penalty miss.
Source: Getty Images
Paris Saint-Germain and Saudi Pro League club Al-Ahli attempted to sign him, but Napoli's excessive demands waded them off. Chelsea entered the race but their salary offer was deemed too low.
He joined Galatasaray on a season-long loan and impressed in Turkey, scoring 37 goals and providing eight assists, which prompted the club to sign him permanently.
The negotiation with Napoli took nearly three weeks as Galatasaray’s initial payment structure was deemed unsatisfactory, but eventually all was agreed and he got his desired move.
Osimhen reacts after sealing Galatasaray move
Legit.ng reported that Osimhen reacted after sealing Galatasaray move following weeks of negotiations between Napoli and the Turkish club.
The striker shared Galatasaray’s lion on his Instagram page ahead of boarding a flight to Germany, from where he will fly to Istanbul to complete his move.
Source: Legit.ng
