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Istanbulspor president Ecmel Faik Sarialioglu has flatly denied reports that Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen is planning to buy the Turkish second-tier club, dismissing widely circulated claims in African media as baseless.
"The reports are not true. We have no knowledge of any such thing. It simply cannot happen," Sarialioglu told Turkish journalist Yagiz Sabuncuoglu on Monday, responding to a wave of speculation that had linked the Nigerian international to a takeover of the Trendyol 1. Lig side.
The denial comes after a report published by Afrik-Foot claimed Osimhen intended to acquire Istanbulspor as the centrepiece of an ambitious project to create a talent pipeline between Nigeria and Türkiye. According to the original report, the 26-year-old Galatasaray forward wanted to open a dedicated football academy and scouting operation in Nigeria, with the aim of developing young West African players and channelling them through Istanbulspor as a launchpad into the European market.
The plan, as described, would have seen Istanbulspor effectively transformed into a development hub with direct ties to Nigerian grassroots football, giving promising players their first professional experience in Europe before moving on to bigger leagues.
Osimhen himself had appeared on a programme hosted by Twitch streamer Carterefe, where he reportedly gave signals about a project of this nature, further fuelling the speculation.
Istanbulspor, founded in 1926, is one of Istanbul's oldest football institutions and has spent much of its history oscillating between the upper and lower tiers of Turkish football.
The club currently competes in Türkiye's second division. Its relatively low profile and modest financial footprint had made it appear, at least on paper, a plausible target for an investor looking to reshape a club's identity without the enormous costs associated with Türkiye's elite sides.
The concept of active players investing in club ownership, while still uncommon, has gained visibility in global football in recent years as high-earning athletes increasingly look to convert their wealth and insider knowledge into long-term ventures within the sport.
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Whatever his off-field ambitions may ultimately be, Osimhen's on-pitch output at Galatasaray has shown no sign of distraction. The Nigerian international has made 29 appearances across all competitions for the Istanbul club in the 2025-26 season, registering 19 goals and 7 assists.
Osimhen built his reputation through stints in Belgium, Germany and France before becoming one of Serie A's most prolific forwards during his time at Napoli. His move to Türkiye has maintained that trajectory, though the latest episode suggests that reports about his business interests may have run ahead of reality.
Sarialioglu's blunt denial leaves the story, for now, firmly in the realm of speculation.
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