Victor Osimhen’s summer transfer window was one filled with speculation, doubt and drama – but he eventually got a move late on in the window, with Galatasaray swooping in to claim the Nigerian hitman on a season-long loan deal after he was frozen out of Antonio Conte’s plans in Italy.
We spoke to Bet9ja Ambassador and former Super Eagle Victor Ikpeba for his thoughts on the transfer as Osimhen looks to rubber-stamp his credentials as one of the world’s top forwards in another top league.
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Osimhen was unlucky to not get a big permanent move!
VI: It was no secret that Victor Osimhen wanted a big move to one of Europe’s top sides over the summer, but it never materialised for one reason or another. Chelsea and PSG were heavily linked with Osimhen, but both clubs are going through transitional periods at the moment and opted out of the transfer.
Victor is an ambitious player and I honestly believe that he was within his rights to push for a move after a couple of outstanding seasons for Napoli. However, Antonio Conte is a real pragmatist – an old-school coach who rules his team with an iron fist, and he wasn’t about to let Osimhen’s transfer future disrupt the atmosphere within his new squad. New man Romelu Lukaku has worked with Conte in the past and played some of his best football under the Italian, so there’s a good chance that Osimhen leaving will have benefitted all parties.
Playing in Turkey will be an amazing experience!
Despite not sitting at the top table of European football, playing for Galatasaray is a bucket-list experience for many footballers. I think that Victor Osimhen will be blown away by how much he is adored by the fans and what football means to Turkish fans.
This is a risk-free move – it’s only a year-long loan and if Osimhen hits the ground running, he could put himself in the shop window again next season if any big teams are in need of a top centre forward. In my opinion this is a much better move than going to Saudi Arabia – Turkey is a hub for competitive football and he’ll still be playing in the Europa League to keep himself in the eyeline of potential suitors. He’s too young to be going to play in a different continent for money alone.
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