Victor Osimhen has officially completed a permanent transfer to Galatasaray from Napoli in a record‑breaking €75 million deal, setting a new high mark for Turkish football and marking the end of a drawn‑out summer saga.
The deal makes the Nigeria striker the most expensive signing in the history of the Süper Lig, shattering the previous record by more than threefold.
In a transaction negotiated over months, Galatasaray activated Osimhen’s €75 million release clause, structured as €40 million paid immediately and €35 million in deferred instalments over the next year.
Napoli retained a 10 per cent sell‑on clause for any future profit, and a rare “anti‑Italy” clause will reportedly prevent the 26‑year‑old from joining another Serie A club for two years.
The striker has signed a four‑year contract that begins with the 2025‑26 season and reportedly guarantees a net annual salary of €15 million.
Included in the package is a €1 million loyalty bonus each year, plus €5 million for image rights, structured to compensate for the club’s use of his name, likeness and commercial value.
Osimhen’s decision to make Istanbul his permanent home followed a sensational loan season made possible by a transfer collapse at Napoli the previous summer.
Signed on loan in September 2024, he quickly became the league’s most feared attacker, scoring 26 goals in 30 Süper Lig matches and 37 goals in 41 games across all competitions.
His goals powered Galatasaray to the league title and Turkish Cup double, earned him the league’s Golden Boot and cemented his bond with the fans.
On landing at Istanbul’s Atatürk Airport to complete the deal, Osimhen emerged from his private jet into a sea of cheering supporters. He spoke with emotion as he looked at the masses: “I’m home. This is where I want to be. I’m happy to be here, to be back. Look at the crowd, look at the people following the plane. I feel great to be here.” He added: “This has been the only thing on my mind since the beginning of the year. Now it’s time to focus. I’ll do my best to achieve the goals of our coach and the club.”
Galatasaray vice‑president Abdullah Kavukcu revealed that the club actively pursued the move from January, long before some of the other suitors had entered the race. “We had a dream, we started talking with my president in January,” Kavukcu told local media. “Footballers around the world would be willing to give up these figures today… Victor truly gave up a lot to stay at Galatasaray… the love for Galatasaray is so great, and our fans created such a strong perception and a wonderful atmosphere of affection that he didn’t want to leave.” He emphasised that the club raised the money without selling any players or taking loans.
Manager Okan Buruk echoed that assessment, crediting the fans as decisive in Osimhen’s choice. “Galatasaray fans gave Osimhen the kind of love he’d never experienced before. That is why I always believed that he would stay,” Buruk said. The emotional weight of the fanbase was, in his view, a factor that no competitor could replicate.
Osimhen’s return to Istanbul also comes amid interest from across Europe and the Middle East. Last summer, Napoli received offers from Saudi giants Al‑Hilal, and Premier League clubs including Chelsea and Manchester United were linked in recent weeks.
But the forward, who had helped Napoli win their first Scudetto since 1990 with 26 goals in 2022‑23, reportedly rebuffed those overtures to remain in Europe and pursue his journey in Turkey.
This move brings an emphatic close to one of the most talked‑about transfer sagas of the summer. It also underscores Galatasaray’s ambition.
After clinching their 25th Süper Lig crown last season, the club is clearly aiming not only to dominate domestically but to establish itself as a regular contender in European competition.
Off the field, Osimhen’s transfer already makes waves. The deal has sent social media numbers soaring—Galatasaray’s English‑language X/Twitter account alone crossed one million followers in the wake of his signing—and the club’s commercial profile is said to have received a major boost.
According to insiders, the club’s marketing teams expect revenue gains of 25‑30 per cent this season thanks to the striker’s global appeal.
Formed in Lagos, Osimhen began his European career in Germany with Wolfsburg but found his breakout season on loan at Charleroi, where 20 goals earned him a move to Lille.
His reputation grew further at Napoli, where he emerged as one of Serie A’s most dominant forwards and – in 2022‑23 – a pivotal figure in Napoli’s first domestic title in over three decades.
Yet the chemistry with the club deteriorated, particularly after a breakdown with then‑coach Antonio Conte ahead of the 2024 season. That tension opened the door for the loan to Galatasaray where he rediscovered his form and appreciation.