Victor Osimhen completed a season-long loan move to Galatasaray last night, following the collapse of potential transfers to Paris Saint-Germain, Al-Ahli, and Chelsea during the summer transfer window.
This move to the Turkish Super Lig champions comes after Victor Osimhen found himself sidelined at Napoli, with the club excluding him from their first-team squad for the 2024/25 Serie A season.
Upon his arrival in Istanbul, Victor Osimhen was greeted warmly by enthusiastic Galatasaray fans, eager to welcome the Nigerian striker to their ranks.
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His move to Turkey continues a tradition of Nigerian footballers making their mark in the Turkish Super Lig, with Osimhen becoming the sixth Nigerian player to don the colors of Galatasaray, a fact highlighted by Transfermarkt.
The history of Nigerian players at Galatasaray is rich, with several notable figures having played for the club over the years:
Nigerians Who Have Played For Galatasaray
- Dominic Iorfa was the first Nigerian to join Galatasaray, signing with the club in 1991 from Queens Park Rangers. A former Nigerian international with 21 caps, Iorfa’s time in Turkey was brief, lasting just eight months and nine appearances before he moved to Peterborough United.
- Henry Onyekuru had a significant impact during his time at Galatasaray, where he enjoyed three separate loan spells—first from Everton and later from AS Monaco. Onyekuru is best remembered for scoring the title-winning goal in the 2018/19 season, securing Galatasaray’s victory over Istanbul Basaksehir. He has since moved on to play in Saudi Arabia.
- Valentine Ozornwafor joined Galatasaray from Enyimba in the Nigerian Professional Football League. Despite being with the club for three years, Ozornwafor made just one appearance for the team, spending most of his time on loan at Almeria and Royal Charleroi. He also earned one cap for the Nigerian national team, the Super Eagles.
- Jesse Sekidika, another Nigerian talent, spent two years at Galatasaray but struggled to make a significant impact. Sekidika played 19 games for the club and went on loan twice before eventually moving to Eyupspor in 2022. Unlike the others on this list, Sekidika has yet to earn a cap for Nigeria. He currently plays for Sabah in Azerbaijan.
- Oghenekaro Etebo, a midfielder with 44 international caps for Nigeria, spent the 2020/21 season on loan at Galatasaray from Stoke City. Unfortunately, Etebo’s career has been hampered by injuries, and he now plays for Gençlerbirliği, a second-division club in Turkey.
Victor Osimhen move to Galatasaray adds a new chapter to the history of Nigerian players at the club, and fans will be eager to see how he performs in the Turkish Super Lig.
Victor Osimhen journey from being sidelined at Napoli to finding a new opportunity in Turkey is one of resilience, and his arrival has certainly generated excitement among Galatasaray supporters.
