First "treated like a dog", now treated like a king: Victor Osimhen is set to make a surprise move to Galatasaray

Victor Osimhen has experienced extremes throughout his career. From a childhood spent in poverty in Lagos, through his meteoric rise to become a world-class striker, to his bitter falling-out with Napoli – the Nigerian knows the highs and lows of professional football like few other players of his generation.

Today, at Galatasaray Istanbul, he is at the centre of a completely different story. A story of recognition, loyalty and a bond between player and fans that has become rare in modern football.

And that is precisely why an unusual question arises: why should Victor Osimhen move clubs again at all? Perhaps the most surprising move of his career would also be the most logical: to stay at Galatasaray long-term – indeed, for good.

On the pitch, Osimhen’s time at Napoli was initially a success story. In the 2022/23 season, he scored 26 goals to lead SSC to their first league title in 33 years and was crowned Serie A top scorer. He was the team’s superstar, the figurehead of an entire club.

Yet just a few months later, the relationship between player and club broke down. The trigger was a now-infamous TikTok video that Napoli posted about Osimhen, in which the club – or rather its social media department – mocked the striker for missing a penalty. For the Nigerian, this moment was a turning point.

"After Napoli posted that video on TikTok, something had broken," the 27-year-old later explained to Gazzetta dello Sport.

"Anyone can miss a penalty, and anyone can be mocked for it. Napoli only did that to me – and with specific insinuations. I was the victim of racist abuse and I made my decision. I wanted to leave."

He was even more forthright when he spoke about how the club had treated him. Those in charge had tried to pass him around instead of valuing him. "They tried to send me off somewhere to play, but they treated me like a dog. Go here, go there, do this, do that. I’ve worked so hard to build my career, and I couldn’t accept that sort of treatment. I’m not a puppet.”

The fact that a player who had just helped secure a historic league title felt treated in this way says a lot about the dynamics of modern professional football. His departure from Naples was therefore ultimately only a matter of time.

When Osimhen moved to Istanbul, the transfer was initially viewed with scepticism across Europe. To many observers, the move seemed like an unusual detour in the career of a world-class striker. Yet it is now becoming clear that there could hardly be a more fitting place for Osimhen.

He is also delivering consistently on the pitch. During his time at Galatasaray, the Nigerian has so far racked up an impressive tally of 55 goals and 15 assists in 68 competitive matches – a record that makes him one of Europe’s most prolific strikers.

Whenever he is fit, he scores. Although injuries have repeatedly hampered him throughout his career, as soon as Osimhen is on the pitch, he is one of the most dangerous attackers on the continent.

For Galatasaray, he has long been more than just a goalscorer. He is the linchpin of the entire project.

A scene before the Champions League match against Liverpool (1–0) demonstrated just how deep the bond between Osimhen and the fans has become.

As the Champions League anthem rang out at RAMS Park, the Galatasaray fans unfurled a huge display. The banner featured Osimhen, his children and a portrait of his late mother. Beneath it was the phrase: “We are a family and family is everything.”

For the striker, this moment was overwhelming. When he saw the images, he could not hold back his tears. The background makes the scene even more emotional. Osimhen lost his mother at a very young age. “My mother died when I was two or three years old. Too young to remember anything – except that she held me in her arms,” he wrote in a personal essay on The Players’ Tribune.

The fact that an entire stadium would embrace this personal story is anything but a given in today’s professional football. Yet the forward did not leave it at mere emotion. As early as the seventh minute of the match against Liverpool, he repaid the fans’ trust on the pitch. With a headed lay-off, he set up the decisive goal to make it 1–0.

It was a perfect symbol of his role at Galatasaray: both an emotional leader and a game-changing player. After the match, another moment followed that highlighted the special relationship between the player and the club. Osimhen came onto the pitch with his daughter – and danced together with the fans in the stadium.

Scenes like these show just how strong the bond between the Nigerian and the supporters has become.

In their prime, world-class strikers are usually drawn to one of Europe’s top leagues. Yet, given the current state of elite football, another move for Osimhen suddenly seems less logical. The key striker positions at the biggest clubs have long been taken.

Harry Kane is a regular at Bayern Munich. Erling Haaland is the linchpin at Manchester City. Paris Saint-Germain are building their attack around Ousmane Dembélé. Arsenal are relying on Kai Havertz or Viktor Gyökeres.

Even a return to Italy would be complicated. According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Napoli had a special clause included in the deal with Galatasaray: should the Turkish club sell Osimhen to a Serie A rival in the near future, penalty payments of up to 70 million euros would be due.

A move to Juventus, Inter or Milan would therefore be extremely difficult. Financially, too, Osimhen is well set in Istanbul. According to media reports, he earns around €15 million net per year; with bonus payments, his earnings can even rise to as much as €21 million. Moreover, the striker has found something at Galatasaray that has become rare in modern football: genuine appreciation and a real home.

He is loved by the fans. He is the focal point of the team. He plays regularly in the Champions League. And he is the biggest star in the league. Many world-class players change clubs every few years, always on the lookout for the next step in their careers.

But few have the chance to become a true club legend. Victor Osimhen would have exactly that opportunity in Istanbul. Perhaps the boldest career move, then, is not to move to the next big club.

But rather in realising that you have already arrived exactly where you belong.

Click here to read article