On Monday, reports of a resolution to the Victor Osimhen transfer saga surfaced online.
By most accounts, an agreement on personal terms has been reached between the 27-year-old and Galatasaray, with whom he enjoyed a fruitful 2024/25 season. Pending an acceptable bid to Napoli, the striker is set to return to Istanbul, reuniting with an adoring fanbase.
While a conclusion is welcome, this one does feel a little underwhelming, and for good reason. Because, for all that Osimhen and his associates have insisted that his transfer ambitions have nothing to do with money – a claim propped up by the refusal of numerous bids from Al Hilal – ultimately, that is precisely what it has come down to.
Why Galatasaray choice is entirely motivated by money
First off, Galatasaray have made no secret of their desire to retain the talisman whose goals led them to great success last term. Their interest has been public and, more importantly, long-standing: as early as January, Cim Bom were talking about it.
While Victor Osimhen never dismissed it definitively, the messaging from him was, at best, non-committal at various times: his deleted farewell post, his radio silence at the start of the window, etc. If, after all that, he is turning around to agree personal terms and greenlight a move, it cannot be because he always thought of Galatasaray as the ideal destination. Instead, it is clear that, with Turkey able to meet his salary demands based on a kinder tax regime, the Nigeria international has opted to return.
More information on Victor Osimhen and Galatasaray:
– Personal Terms agreed between player and club.
– 3years contract.
– Victor Osimhen rejected offers from Top European clubs to return back to Galatasaray.
– He was convinced by the Project Galatasaray are Building.
-… pic.twitter.com/oJHwDDe9fR— Buchi Laba (@Buchi_Laba) July 7, 2025
In Europe’s top five leagues, tax regimes range from between 43-52%, meaning that in order to match his desired take-home salary, the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal would need to shell out 150% for his gross. In the Premier League, that would make him the second-highest paid player, behind only Erling Haaland.
While Osimhen’s defenders have insisted that is fair value for a striker of his calibre, consider that only three clubs are represented in the top eight of highest-paid players in the league. And one of them, Manchester City, do not need a striker. His options were never bountiful.
Galatasaray: A lukewarm choice for Victor Osimhen
So we are left with two avenues to explore. If his main goal was level of competition, then it behooved him to not be so rigid in terms of his salary demands. There simply is no way around this. If, however, he considered that enough of a deal breaker to leave the negotiating table, then the only sensible inference is that it is, in fact, money that is the primary motivation.
If it is, then one has to wonder why he did not simply go to Saudi Arabia.
In for a penny, in for a pound; if money was so important, why not take Al Hilal’s 500th offer and clean out? Turkish Super Lig clubs barely register beyond the qualifying stages of the Champions League, and another year with Galatasaray would take him even farther along his career trajectory, eating up another 12 months of his nominal prime. That shoots down any notion of a return to Turkey keeping him front of mind for the game’s giants: nothing he does this time around that will move the needle where last season did not.
Also, say what you want about the Saudi league, but Al Hilal are a top side with a world-class manager, a competitive enough squad to trouble Europe’s elite, and regular deep runs in the Asian Champions League. It would have been a wrench to see him go there in his prime, but at least it would have been a firm, bold decision one way.
Instead, in Galatasaray, especially as his actions made clear they were not his first choice, we have a lukewarm choice that tells us nothing.
