Galatasaray president Dursun Özbek has described Victor Osimhen as the most valuable player in the Turkish Super Lig after the Nigerian striker was reportedly valued at €150m amid renewed transfer speculation.
Osimhen, who joined Galatasaray permanently from Napoli last summer for €75m after a successful loan spell, became the most expensive signing in Turkish football history.
Since his move, the 26-year-old has continued to impress, scoring nine goals in 12 appearances across all competitions, including a Champions League hat-trick against Ajax. His performances have drawn interest from several top European clubs, including Chelsea, PSG, Manchester United, and Barcelona, ahead of the January transfer window.
Speaking at an awards ceremony in Istanbul, Özbek addressed rumours about the club’s valuation of Osimhen.
“Osimhen is one of the most valuable footballers in Türkiye,” he said, according to Sporx. “I don’t want to comment on figures, but one thing everyone agrees on is that Osimhen is the league’s most valuable player.”
Clubs currently monitoring Osimhen are all from outside Italy, as Napoli and Galatasaray agreed that the striker would not be sold to an Italian club before 2027. As part of the deal, Napoli will also receive 10% of any future transfer fee from Osimhen’s next move.
The discussion around Osimhen’s future has sparked debate across Europe. Former Premier League striker Troy Deeney, speaking on CBS Sports Golazo, expressed surprise that a player of Osimhen’s quality is not already leading the attack for one of Europe’s biggest clubs.
“Victor Osimhen is one guy we can never really understand. Why is he in Turkey? Why is he not at these big clubs?” Deeney asked. “There’s something about him that says he’s a goalscorer, but clearly some people don’t fancy him. For me, you always need a goalscorer in your team.”
