Galatasaray president Dursun Özbek believes Victor Osimhen is the most valuable player in the Turkish Super Lig, after the Nigerian was tagged a €150m player in the wake of new transfer speculations, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
After a successful loan spell last season, Osimhen arrived at Galatasaray from Napoli on a permanent deal for €75m in the summer, setting the record for the most expensive transfer in the country’s history.
Months into his switch, the 26-year-old is generating transfer interests again with the likes of Chelsea, PSG, Manchester United, and Barcelona said to be monitoring him ahead of the January transfer window.
This season, Osimhen has nine goals in 12 games across all competitions, including a hat-trick against Ajax in the UEFA Champions League.
Speaking at an awards ceremony in Istanbul, Özbek was asked whether reports suggesting Galatasaray would only consider bids around €150m for Osimhen were true.
“Osimhen is one of the most valuable footballers in Türkiye,” Özbek said as per Sporx.
“I don’t want to comment on his numbers. There is one thing all Turkish football fans agree on: Osimhen is the league’s most valuable player.”
All the clubs monitoring Osimhen have been linked to him before. There are no Italian clubs among his latest suitors because Napoli and Galatasaray agreed that the player would not be sold to Italy until 2027.
As part of their agreement, 10% of any future fee from Osimhen’s next transfer will also be paid to Napoli.
Meanwhile, the debate over whether Osimhen should already be at one of Europe’s top clubs has gained more attention.
Former Premier League striker Troy Deeney voiced his disbelief on CBS Sports Golazo, questioning why a player of Osimhen’s quality isn’t leading the line for a European superpower.
“Victor Osimhen is one guy we can never really understand. Why is he in Turkey? Why is he not at these big clubs?” Deeney asked.
“There’s something about him that says he’s a goalscorer, but clearly some other people don’t fancy [him]. For me, you need a goalscorer in your team.”
