Victor Osimhen: How Lukaku, Greenwood and Salah can end Galatasaray’s reign

Victor Osimhen has already conquered Turkish football but now faces a different challenge after other clubs have strengthened their squad, Afrik-Foot reports.

After winning another league title, Galatasaray remain the team to beat, with Osimhen at the centre of their ambitions.

The Nigerian has scored 59 goals across his first two seasons in Turkey and helped the Istanbul giants maintain their status as Turkiye’s number one football club, but the landscape around them has changed this summer.

Fenerbahçe have strengthened their attack with the arrival of Romelu Lukaku and Mason Greenwood, while Trabzonspor have pulled off one of the biggest coups in Turkish football by signing Mohamed Salah.

🚨🟡🔵 Romelu Lukaku to Fenerbahçe, here we go! Green light from Napoli as club to club agreement has been reached.

New bid revealed last night worth over €6m has been accepted, Lukaku has also agreed all terms.

Verbal agreement so far, paperwork to be checked today. pic.twitter.com/LrgF8wwXxK

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 11, 2026

Those moves could make Osimhen’s task of leading Galatasaray to another title significantly harder.

Lukaku gives Fenerbahçe a new attacking threat

Lukaku’s arrival immediately gives Fenerbahçe a proven goalscorer capable of competing with Osimhen at the top of the scoring charts. The Belgian replaced the Nigerian at Napoli and immediately won the Serie A under Antonio Conte,

The former Inter Milan striker brings a profile. While Osimhen’s explosive running and ability to attack space can stretch defensive lines, Lukaku’s physical strength, hold-up play and penalty-box presence can allow Fenerbahçe to build their attack around him.

That could create a fascinating battle between two elite No.9s. Osimhen has already demonstrated that he can thrive under pressure. The question now is whether Galatasaray can continue supplying him with enough chances while Fenerbahçe’s new-look attack starts producing consistently.

Greenwood adds another problem for Galatasaray

Lukaku is not Fenerbahçe’s only major attacking addition. Greenwood gives Ismail Kartal’s side another player capable of deciding matches individually, adding creativity and goals from wide and central areas.

The combination of Greenwood and Lukaku will force opponents to defend Fenerbahçe differently. That matters for the title race because Galatasaray can no longer expect to win games simply by having the league’s most feared individual attacking threat.

Fenerbahçe’s squad now possesses multiple players capable of changing the outcome of a match. N’golo Kante, Ederson, Semedo, Nathan Ake, Fred and Asensio may be past their best years, but their experience beats that of the players in the Galatasaray squad, and that could be pivotal as they look to dethrone the Cimbom Aslan.

Salah can transform Trabzonspor into title contenders

The most intriguing challenge, however, may come from Trabzonspor. Salah’s move to the Black Sea club has completely changed the expectations surrounding them. The Egyptian joined on a two-year deal after leaving Liverpool, with Trabzonspor having finished third in the 2025/26 Süper Lig season.

His arrival has already generated extraordinary attention around the club, with thousands of supporters turning out for his unveiling, but the bigger question is what Salah can do on the pitch.

Trabzonspor already have a proven Turkish-league goalscorer in Paul Onuachu, who finished last season with 22 league goals. Salah’s creativity and movement could give the Nigerian striker even more opportunities.

That creates another potential title challenger capable of taking points away from Galatasaray.

Osimhen faces a different kind of test

This is where the 2026/27 season becomes particularly interesting for Osimhen. He is no longer entering a Turkish league where Galatasaray’s superiority looks inevitable.

Instead, he will have to compete against a Fenerbahçe side strengthened by Lukaku and Greenwood, while Trabzonspor have added one of the biggest names in world football.

The Nigerian has already shown that he can dominate the Süper Lig. Now, he has to prove that he can do it when the league’s other major clubs have significantly raised their level.

For Galatasaray, keeping Osimhen fit, productive and creating a high volume of chances will be crucial. His goals remain one of their biggest advantages, but the margin for error will be considerably smaller this season.

The arrival of Salah, Lukaku and Greenwood has given Turkish football a new collection of superstar forwards.

For Osimhen, that means the race for the Süper Lig title, and potentially the Golden Boot, is about to become much more difficult.