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Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen joined Galatasaray for $85 million, setting a new record in Turkish football.
The club signed him on a four-year contract after a season-long loan that ended with a league title and 37 goals.
Galatasaray announced the deal on July 30 through the Public Disclosure Platform, confirming the full transfer fee and contract terms.
Galatasaray agreed to pay Napoli a total of $87 million, including $45 million upfront and the rest in installments.
The club also accepted a 10 percent sell-on clause. According to the official filing, Osimhen will receive $17 million per season in salary, over $1 million in loyalty bonuses, and $5,7 million in image rights.
Galatasaray president Dursun Ozbek said, “Wherever I went, even in the most remote places, people asked if Osimhen was coming. He earned that love with his performance last season.”
He added that the board did everything it could to complete the transfer. “Our goal this year is to succeed in the Champions League. We gave the fans what they asked for.”
Sportif AS vice president Abdullah Kavukcu said the club had started talks in January and Osimhen made personal sacrifices to stay.
“He gave up a lot. There is no other player in the world who would walk away from those numbers. He chose Galatasaray because of the love he received here,” Kavukcu said.
Galatasaray loaned Osimhen from Napoli last season, when Mauro Icardi tore his ACL during a Europa League match and missed 39 games.
Osimhen stepped in and scored 26 goals in 30 league matches, securing Galatasaray’s 25th league title and third consecutive championship. He finished as the league’s top scorer.
Across all competitions, Osimhen played 41 games and scored 37 goals, marking the most productive season of his career. He broke the club’s record for most goals in a single season by a foreign player, overtaking Mario Jardel’s 34-goal record from the 2000–01 season.
The club confirmed that fans pushed strongly for his return. Galatasaray supporters welcomed him at Ataturk Airport on July 30 with large crowds and banners. Ozbek commented, “The welcome last night was unbelievable. He deserves it.”
After arriving in Istanbul, Osimhen told reporters, “This is home. This is where I wanted to be. I’m happy to be back. Only Galatasaray. That was the only thing on my mind since the start of the year”.
He rejected offers from Saudi Arabian clubs and European teams. Reports claimed Al-Hilal offered him $57 million per year, but Osimhen turned them down.
During transfer negotiations, he posted a short video on social media from an airplane wearing Galatasaray colors and captioned it “Solo il Gala” (Only Galatasaray).
“The fans have been by my side since I first came here,” Osimhen said. “From now on, I will give everything in every match. I thank my president, vice president, and coach. They all fought for me to stay.”
The relationship between Osimhen and Napoli began to decline after the club posted a video mocking him for a missed penalty.
He accused the club of disrespect. The fallout triggered his desire to leave, and Galatasaray entered negotiations after the European transfer window closed.
Napoli had previously relied on Osimhen to win its first Serie A title in 33 years. He scored 31 goals in all competitions during the 2022–23 season. Galatasaray moved quickly after his dissatisfaction became public.
Kavukcu said, “He wanted to be here. We also wanted him. We worked hard and paid everything without selling any of our assets. This was not just a transfer; it was a strategic step to grow the Galatasaray brand worldwide.”
Galatasaray now holds the record for the most expensive transfer outside England, Spain, Germany, France, and Italy.
Osimhen became the third most expensive player in the 2025 summer window, after Liverpool’s Florian Wirtz (around $143 million) and Hugo Ekitike (over $108 million).
This move puts Galatasaray ahead of Al-Nassr’s $88 million signing of John Duran and Al-Hilal’s $103 million transfer of Neymar. Galatasaray’s investment positions the club as a major player outside Europe’s traditional powerhouses.
With Osimhen’s arrival, Galatasaray’s squad value rose to $364 million, according to Transfermarkt.
This figure exceeds the combined value of 13 other Super Lig teams that have never won the league.
Transfer experts say Osimhen’s market value now exceeds the valuation of any Super Lig team outside the “big four” (Galatasaray, Fenerbahce, Besiktas, and Trabzonspor).
Squad values of top 10 Super Lig clubs in 2025
Osimhen’s record-breaking transfer reshaped the list of the Super Lig’s biggest signings. Galatasaray now holds six of the top ten.
Most expensive transfers in Super Lig history
Galatasaray holds six of the top ten most expensive transfers, while Fenerbahce and Besiktas each appear twice. If Besiktas activates Orkun Kokcu’s purchase clause, the club will secure the second-highest transfer in Super Lig history after Osimhen.
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