By Wale Mustapha
Galatasaray head coach Okan Buruk has downplayed rumors suggesting that Victor Osimhen could leave the Turkish Super Lig club during the January transfer window.
Osimhen, currently on a season-long loan from Serie A side Napoli, has been in impressive form, contributing eight goals and four assists in just nine appearances for the Red Lions across all competitions.
Despite speculation linking Osimhen with a potential move to several European clubs, including Manchester United, Buruk has firmly stated that the Nigerian striker has consistently expressed his intention to remain at Galatasaray until the end of the season.
“Osimhen intends to stay here until the end of the season. He also wants to stay and has been telling me the same thing since the beginning,” Buruk said in an interview with NTV.
“There is a clause, but it doesn’t matter. He said he will stay.”
The Galatasaray coach emphasized that the final decision lies with the player, and Osimhen has made it clear that he is committed to the club for the remainder of the campaign.
“The important thing is the player. It is the player who decides, and Osimhen says he will stay here. He said the same thing when he came,” Buruk added.
With Osimhen’s commitment to staying with Galatasaray, it seems unlikely that the striker will make a mid-season move, despite the ongoing transfer rumors.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
