Napoli striker Victor Osimhen looks set to rejoin Galatasaray this summer after a successful loan spell in Turkey last season
Victor Osimhen celebrates scoring for Galatasaray during his first stint at the club(Image: Hakan Akgun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Manchester United may be set to miss out on Victor Osimhen this summer but reports in Italy suggest there is a clause in his next transfer that could help the Reds in the future.
The transfer saga surrounding the future of Osimhen has dominated the past two summer windows after his relationship with Napoli broke down. In 2024, the Nigerian centre-forward made it clear that he wished to leave the Naples club to explore other options.
While Chelsea showed a keen interest, Napoli were unwilling to agree terms with the Premier League club and were trying to negotiate a move to the Saudi Pro League. Osimhen did not see that move as beneficial for his career and he instead chose to stay in Italy.
With options quickly disappearing, Osimhen agreed a loan move to Galatasaray who benefitted from their summer window closing later than most of Europe. This proved to be a wise choice as the 26-year-old took Turkey by storm scoring 37 goals.
Upon his return to Italy, Osimhen received strong enquiries and approaches from Al Hilal but again he refused to move to Saudi Arabia. Having enjoyed his loan spell at Galatasaray, it now appears that the Turkish club are willing to make his stay permanent and the forward has agreed to this.
Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Galatasaray have agreed to pay Napoli £34.7m up front and then a further £30.4m by 2026. However, a clause in his contract could help United complete a deal for Osimhen in the near future.
It is claimed there is an agreement billed as an ‘anti-Italy’ clause which prevents Galatasaray from selling their star striker to another Italian team until 2027. Should they break this clause, the Istanbul club would likely have to double the price of the deal to a Serie A team to make it worth their while.
Such a clause is only going to be beneficial for United in the coming summers if they want to sign Osimhen as the less teams that can feasibly bid for the player, the better. There is a feeling that the 26-year-old may see Galatasaray as another stopgap before moving to a bigger club.
However, his passion for Galatasaray right now means his immediate future is going to be in Turkey and not the Premier League.
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