Italian giants Napoli have rejected a €65 million bid from Turkish club Galatasaray for their highly rated Nigerian striker, Victor Osimhen.
The bid came as Galatasaray sought to secure Osimhen’s signature on a permanent basis following his successful loan spell with the club. According to Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport, the Turkish club attempted to activate Osimhen’s loan agreement, but their offer fell short of his €75 million release clause.
The 26-year-old joined Galatasaray on loan until the end of the season, but the deal did not include an option for the club to make it permanent. However, Galatasaray holds significant leverage in the negotiations due to a special compensation clause in the loan agreement.
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This clause states that if Osimhen were to transfer to another club in January, Galatasaray would be entitled to a €6 million compensation fee from Napoli, effectively raising his release clause to €81 million for other interested parties during the winter window.
As it stands, only Galatasaray can trigger the original €75 million release clause this month, while other clubs must wait until the summer to do so.
Osimhen’s release clause was initially set at a hefty €130 million, but this was reduced last summer when he signed a new contract with Napoli, which allowed him to join Galatasaray on loan.
Since moving to the Turkish league leaders, Osimhen has been in superb form, scoring 16 goals and providing 5 assists in just 20 appearances. His contributions have been key in helping Galatasaray maintain their top spot in the Süper Lig.
In a recent statement, Osimhen reiterated his commitment to Galatasaray, saying, “I will not leave in January; I am at Galatasaray until the end of the season. I don’t know what Galatasaray and Napoli are discussing for future arrangements, but I am open to conversations if they approach me.”
