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Istanbul club Galatasaray’s world-renowned Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen is said to have refused to play due to alleged unpaid salaries, according to Turkish journalist Yilmaz Dirim, as speculation grows over his absence from the squad.
Osimhen did not feature in Galatasaray’s 2–0 away defeat to Konyaspor in Week 23 of the Turkish Super Lig on Saturday, with the club officially attributing his absence to pain in his right knee following a 5–2 home victory over Juventus in the UEFA Champions League.
According to the club, the technical staff decided not to include him in the squad as a precaution while medical monitoring continued.
Head coach Okan Buruk acknowledged the striker’s importance after the match and explained the decision to leave him out, saying, "We had played him before with similar pain, but when he said the pain was more severe today, we did not take the risk."
At the same time, speculation spread on social media suggesting that players had not been paid for three months, raising concerns about morale and dressing room stability.
Galatasaray’s management denied those claims, stating that reports of delayed salary payments were false and rejecting suggestions that financial issues influenced player availability or performance.
The club executives who spoke to Turkish daily Sabah did not provide further details but maintained that Osimhen’s absence was solely due to medical precaution.
Since Osimhen joined the Istanbul-based club, Galatasaray’s overall performance has declined noticeably in matches he does not play. Excluding fixtures he missed due to national team duty, Galatasaray played 13 games without him and won only six of those matches.
His absence in the Konyaspor match coincided with one of the team’s weaker performances, as the hosts secured a two-goal victory.
Osimhen transferred to the Istanbul side in the summer of 2025 for a record €75 million ($88.69 million) fee. He earns an annual salary of €15 million, along with a €1 million loyalty bonus and €5 million in image rights payments.
The striker later trained indoors with the recovery group ahead of the second-leg Juventus match on Wednesday, according to the club.
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