One of Nigeria’s most gifted strikers Victor Osimhen has suddenly become a perennial transfer talking point that never really materialises. In the past two seasons since his acrimonious fallout with Napoli, the Super Eagles striker has been linked with numerous top European clubs but none has come in handy.
A last minute move by Chelsea last season could not sail through as the player did not agree with what Chelsea brought to the table. Osimhen ended up in a loan deal at Galatasaray in the Turkish Superliga. Putting all the problems behind him, the Nigeria international led Galatasaray to a domestic double. They won the league and the country’s cup competition.This summer, the transfer window opened with speculators linking the striker again to clubs like PSG, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia and Galatasaray.
Surprisingly, the crowd of suitors has grown thin, Of all the clubs only Galatasaray and Al-Ahli have demonstrated genuine interest in the Nigerian after agreeing to pay the 75 million euros buy out clause Napoli set. Despite Galatasaray’s resolve to meet the terms Napoli put forward, the Italian club are creating more hurdles, inventing new clauses to make the transfer of Osimhen almost impossible. One of the clauses states that Osimhen must not be resold to any Serie A club until after three seasons.
While Napoli favour Osimhen moving to Al-Ahli, the player has declared his preference for the Turkish champions. The question on the lips of many Nigerians is, what could be responsible for Osimhen’s transfer ordeal? Is it a grand conspiracy to frustrate the gifted Nigerian or could it be linked to the player’s character?
Victor Osimhen is one of the best strikers in world football yet no big team want to sign him. Could he have suffered the same ordeal if he was from another clime? Does it have to do with his infamous clash with former Super Eagles coach, Finidi George? Could it be his brush with Napoli and their fans? Could the lack of interest from top European clubs be traced to his injury record? So many questions.
Before his loan to Galatasaray, Osimhen was banished from Napoli’s squad following his failed transfers to Chelsea and Al-Ahli. Osimhen did not even make it into Napoli’s Serie A registration for the season after the club revealed that Osimhen expressed his desire to leave Napoli, and that he no longer wanted to play for Napoli. This marked the end of a long series of twists and turns between Osimhen and Napoli, and a sad, sour end to the relationship between club and player.
Osimhen won the Golden Boot award at the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup, which Nigeria won. He made his senior international debut in June 2017, and played at the Africa Cup of Nations in 2019 and 2023, reaching the final of the latter competition. He is currently the second all-time highest goalscorer of the Nigeria national team. On 29 May 2023, Osimhen was honoured with the award of a Member of the Federal Republic by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Osimhen finished in eighth place at the 2023 Ballon d’Or ceremony, becoming the first Nigerian to make the top ten of the French award. He was also named the African Footballer of the Year at the 2023 CAF Awards, the first Nigerian to receive this honour since Nwankwo Kanu in 1999.
With such a rich resume, he should have been one of the most wanted players on the planet if not for reasons that remain unknown to many Nigerians.
Character:
As a player, Osimhen’s work rate is high and his thirst for victory puts him far and above his peers. On the field, he is relentless and confronts defenders with energy and grit. In the two seasons at Napoli he scored a total of 76 goals and won the Best Player in Serie A after leading the club to win the Scudetto in his second season. In Turkey, he continued with his rich vein of form at Galatasaray, scoring 37 goals in forty appearances in all competitions for the club last season.
He is one of the best strikers in the world but some issues have seen him fallout with different interest groups on and off the pitch.
In 2024, Osimhen had a brush with erstwhile national team coach, George Finidi. His reaction to an allegation that Finidi accused him of selecting matches he wanted to play was not in good taste and many Nigerians didn’t like his response as he poured unprintable invective on Finidi. The news spread everywhere . Some Nigerians demanded a public apology before he could be invited to play for Nigeria again. Although that was swept under the carpet, many never forgot. Writing on Facebook in 2924, a concerned Nigerian football fan Baridam Ben submits: “There is no doubt the guy is a huge talent, and one of the best strikers in a world that is lacking quality strikers.
“However, when I saw the headlines that he was responding to the allegations in the news against him, I thought it was the right thing to do. But after watching him spew juvenile vituperations, he cleared every doubt that he was such a poor character and bad influence on the Super Eagles. He left the football world with the impression that he thinks himself too big to play for Nigeria, or that he was doing us a favour.”
Continuing, Baridam Ben wrote: “I have never seen such a crude and primitive character in my entire lifetime. I wish he doesn’t ever play for the Super Eagles again, and I wish my dear Arsenal never ever touch him with a ten-foot pole.”
As if that was not enough curse, the writer said, “You insult your coach, insult your country’s legend, insult your fans who have always stood by you and insult your country on the back of a mere rumour that you didn’t even make any effort to confirm? Even if the rumours were true, which trusted Nigerian journalists have confirmed isn’t true, it still doesn’t give Osimhen the right to insult anyone. His lack of emotional intelligence is a ticking timebomb for teamplay.”
Indeed in Super Eagles’ 1-1 draw against Lesotho in Uyo, last October, Osimhen stunned a teammate who ran to him at the end of the match for normal end-of-match formalities. Tried as the player did to give Osimhen a hug, the former Lille player ignored him to the surprise of millions of viewers across the world. “He was bitter that the Eagles allowed in a late equalizer,” a close pal tried to explain afterwards. “But he played the match, why couldn’t he rescue the situstion,” another spectator asked.
Osimhen’s temperament was on display again when he deleted pictures of him in a Napoli jersey after Napoli posted on their TikTok account to mock his penalty miss against Bologna. An Italian journalist Marika Fruscio criticised the Nigeria striker and advised him to ‘be professional’ . She criticised Osimhen for deleting the Napoli-related posts on his Instagram page.
“You’re a champion, but it takes humility. What’s the use of deleting the photos of the team that worshipped and supported you,” Fruscio wrote on Instagram. “Be the professional. Head down and work.”
More critical of Osimhen was Benevento coach Floro Flores who called him names. Flores said Osimhen has been most ungrateful to Napoli. He told Radio Kiss Kiss Napoli that “He’s a troublemaker.”
Piecing all this together has broadened my inquisition. It has forced me to ask yet another question: Is Osimhen’s transfer ordeal a grand conspiracy by the football Mafia to frustrate him or a self-inflicted ordeal?
It is clear that Osimhen’s transfer troubles have nothing to do with his ability to deliver. In the modern game where younger coaches have taken over the dugouts, very few of them can be patient with players who will give them problems on and off the training grounds. The current transfer window will close soon and Nigerians are worried that their high scoring forward is yet to secure a deal. Some have even advised that he takes up the lucrative Saudi option, praying that their hugely talented international gets a good deal and settle for business before the new season begins. He must avoid controversies, remain humble and continue doing what he knows best to do – scoring goals.
Osimhen has a duty for himself, his teeming fans and country. He should take a decision now regarding his transfer.
Above all, he must recognise the fact that talent alone is not enough. It must be blended with a positive character and lead by example.
Osimhen’s Transfer: Galatasaray, Napoli reach agreement
Galatasaray and Napoli have reached an agreement on bank guarantees and payment plans regarding striker Victor Osimhen’s transfer.
This was revealed by Turkish football pundit, Yagiz Sabuncuoglu, in a tweet via his X account on Thursday evening.
According to Sabuncuoglu, Galatasaray will pay Napoli 40 million euros upfront for Osimhen’s signature, while the remaining amount will be paid in installments.
He added that both clubs agreed on a 75 million euro transfer fee for the Nigeria international.
“Galatasaray and Napoli have reached an agreement on bank guarantees and payment plans,” Sabuncuoglu wrote on X.
“Of the 75 million euro transfer fee, 40 million euros will be paid upfront. The remaining amount will be paid in installments.
“Galatasaray is very close to signing Victor Osimhen!”
This is coming less than a few days after Napoli rejected the offer Galatasaray made for Osimhen.
Osimhen spent of last season on loan at the Turkish champions and netted 37 goals across competitions for them.
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