Victor Osimhen’s loan to Galatasaray is likely to spell the end of his time with Napoli, an Italian job that turned sour faster than expected.
Only 12 months ago, the Nigerian striker was one of world football’s hottest properties, having fired Gli Azzurri to a first Serie A title in 33 years.
While Neapolitans eulogise their heroes in the shadow of a volcano, Galatasaray supporters are infamous for using the phrase “welcome to hell” to describe the Hadean atmosphere inside their fervid Rams Park stadium
Osimhen, 25, is clearly banking on the fact that this particular hell will be better than the transfer nightmare he has endured over the last few months – but how did it get to this point?
Osimhen joined Napoli from Lille in July 2020 in a deal reportedly worth £73m ($96m), making him the most expensive African player of all time.
He scored a respectable 10 goals in his first season before a change of coach saw Gennaro Gattuso replaced by Luciano Spalletti.
Under Spalletti, Osimhen netted 18 times in his second season before plundering 31 in all competitions as Napoli ran away with the title race in 2022-23, scooping the club’s first Scudetto since 1990.
Osimhen finished the campaign as Serie A’s top scorer and was voted African Player of the Year in December 2023 – just days before signing a bumper new contract, worth over £10m ($13m) a year, as Napoli moved to protect the value of their asset.
“Napoli handled the situation badly last season when they offered him a renewal of the contract,” said Italian sports journalist Daniele Verri.
Verri believes Osimhen should have “left almost immediately” after the new deal, which includes a £113m ($148m) release clause, was agreed.
“It’s over a year now that they managed to destroy everything.”
One of the reasons for that could be Spalletti’s decision to leave after the Scudetto win.
Without him, Napoli could not repeat the success of their championship season, finishing 10th.
Osimhen, who some claim was by this point looking for a way out, managed 17 goals for his club but also missed chunks of the season due to injury and his run to the final of the Africa Cup of Nations with Nigeria.
His form did not impress Italian football expert James Horncastle, who believes the striker is now worth less than half of his prohibitive release clause.
“I think that was the big thing last season – can you back up what you did in the title winning season? He didn’t and I think that is a real problem when it comes to clubs looking at him this year,” he told the Euro Leagues podcast.
Having chopped and changed coach through their disappointing campaign, Napoli appointed Antonio Conte in June, and the former Juventus, Inter Milan and Chelsea boss wasted no time in making his position clear.
Keen to bring in striker Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea, Osimhen was frozen out, excluded from Napoli’s squad list and stripped of his number nine jersey.
Former Nigeria striker Peter Odemwingie is a man who knows what it is like to want out of a club, having famously driven himself to Loftus Road in the hope of completing a deadline day move from West Bromwich Albion to Queens Park Rangers.
“Football today has more the business side of thing dominating than a game unfortunately,” he told BBC Sport Africa, adding that Osimhen is likely to be sad that “among good relationships there are now bad ones, regardless of whose fault it is.”
With Conte and Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis described by Verri as “very stubborn people”, all parties were now looking for a solution.
While several clubs have shown interest in Osimhen, not many have turned that into formal talks. Paris St Germain did, but could not agree a fee with Napoli.
With the Nigerian refusing to accept a lower salary and De Laurentiis until recently insisting on receiving the full release clause, the bill has proven prohibitive.
Chelsea, keen to sign another striker, expected Osimhen’s wage demands to drop as the end of the transfer window approached.
But having investigated both a straight loan and a deal including an obligation to buy, the Stamford Bridge hierarchy ultimately decided against either on deadline day due to their strict new wage structure based on performance-related pay.
Osimhen’s publicly stated dream is to play in the Premier League one day, but now his options were narrowing.
His other possible destination was widely mooted to be Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli.
With Napoli finally willing to bend, terms were initially agreed on a deal worth around £60m ($78.6m) – only for De Laurentiis to raise the price again at the last minute.
It meant that while Osimhen’s team were happy with the salary offer, Al-Ahli eventually chose a cheaper £40m ($52.4m) deal for Brentford’s Ivan Toney.
Just how keen Osimhen really was on a move to Saudi is unclear, but comments from his agent Victor Calenda ahead of deadline day suggest it was not a top priority.
“It (Osimhen) is not a package to be shipped far away to make room for new prophets. Victor was elected African Footballer of the Year, eighth at the Ballon d’Or, he still has so much to do in Europe.”
And so to Galatasaray.
The Instanbul-based club were able to swoop in where others could not because the Turkish transfer window remains open until 16 September.
On confirming the signing, they announced that there was no fee attached to the one-year loan deal and that Osimhen will earn 6m euros (£5m) ($6.65m) for the year, meaning that Napoli are presumably still picking up the remainder of his contract.
He will team up with former Napoli team-mate Dries Mertens and also tread the path of his football hero, Ivorian legend Didier Drogba, who spent a season with Galatasaray and has been known to offer advice to his protege.
“It is a big club and plays European football every year, and they have very passionate fans,” said Odemwingie.
“There is a lot of pressure to play for big Turkish clubs.
“Victor now has to earn respect there of the fans and earn a big move next.”
That move could come in January, with a mid-season break clause inserted in deal, should one of European football’s super clubs come knocking in January.
Ironically, ahead of the move, there will be an extension to his Napoli contract, with the Neapolitans again looking to prevent Osimhen’s price dropping next summer when he will have just one year left on his deal.
Verri agrees that the most likely way forward is for Osimhen to perform well in Turkey and for Napoli to “accept a lower fee” for him at the end of the season.
“Fans will only be happy if he left,” he outlined. “No one can see Osimhen anymore in Naples.”
For Odemwingie, the Galatasaray move is also important for Nigeria’s international hopes.
“Victor is a key player and a leader,” he said. “It’s important he is match fit and happy.
“In my days, seeing big names got me excited and I had more belief we can win big games.
“I hope he can have peace in his heart and enjoy playing football.”
