By Daily Sports Nigeria on January 7, 2024

Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen has reaffirmed his commitment to Galatasaray amid growing speculation linking him with a January move to Manchester United and Chelsea, with the Turkish champions “100% convinced” he will remain until the end of the season, The PUNCH  reports.

The 26-year-old, who joined Galatasaray on loan from Napoli in September, has been in scintillating form, scoring 13 goals and providing five assists in 16 appearances across all competitions, helping the Istanbul giants maintain their grip on the Super Lig title race.

“I will not leave in January, I am at Galatasaray until the end of the season,” Osimhen told reporters after scoring a brace against Tottenham in the Europa League.

“I do not know what Galatasaray and Napoli are talking about afterwards, but if they come to me, we will talk. Galatasaray is a nice club that I like very much. I am very happy at Galatasaray.”

Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg has dismissed reports linking the striker with an imminent exit, stating that Galatasaray are confident of retaining his services despite significant interest from Premier League clubs.

The Super Eagles forward demonstrated his importance again on Saturday, converting from the penalty spot in a 2-1 victory over Gotzepe to register his 10th Turkish Super Lig goal of the season after Kaan Ayhan was fouled by Djalma Silva.

His strike, followed by Yunus Akgun’s winner after Romulo Cruz had equalised for the visitors, helped extend Galatasaray’s lead at the top of the table to 8 points over second-placed Fenerbahçe after 17 matches.

Osimhen is now joint-second in the scoring charts alongside Simon Banza and Mame Baba Thiam, trailing only Krzysztof Piatek’s 12 strikes, as Pierre Sage’s side prepare for Wednesday’s Turkish Cup clash against Başakşehir.

Despite his impressive performances, Osimhen’s market value has dropped by £29m according to Transfermarkt, making him the joint-second highest value drop in world football alongside Bayern Munich’s Leroy Sane, behind only Paris Saint-Germain’s Randal Kolo Muani (£33m).

The significant decrease is attributed to his move to a lower-ranked league and contract situation, though this hasn’t deterred potential suitors, particularly Manchester United, whose new manager Ruben Amorim is reportedly keen on triggering the striker’s €75m release clause.

United’s interest stems from their ongoing goalscoring crisis, with the Red Devils netting just 23 times in the Premier League this season. Amorim has expressed dissatisfaction with current striking options Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee’s finishing prowess.

Arsenal have also emerged as potential suitors following injury to Bukayo Saka, while former Galatasaray coach Hamza Hamzaoğlu recently suggested the Turkish club cannot afford a permanent deal for the Nigerian.

The striker’s future has been subject to intense speculation since last summer when Arsenal, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Al-Hilal all showed interest but failed to finalise agreements for his signature, leading to his eventual loan move to Turkey.

Osimhen’s value drop puts him in illustrious company, with several Premier League stars including Chelsea’s Christopher Nkunku, Brighton’s Evan Ferguson, Arsenal’s Gabriel Jesus, and Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne all suffering £20m decreases in their market values during the same period.

The Turkish league leaders will hope their star striker maintains his impressive form as they chase domestic and European honours, with Osimhen’s goals crucial to their ambitions of securing a first European title since 2000.

Source Punch Ng

Posted January 7, 2025

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