Nigeria Players Abroad
Ali Ece urges Galatasaray to reconsider €75M Victor Osimhen move
By Monsurah Olatunji
Turkish football analyst Ali Ece has cautioned Galatasaray against pursuing Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen, stating that the club would be better off financially and tactically if Mauro Icardi remains with the team.
Osimhen, currently playing for Napoli, is expected to be on the transfer market this summer with a reported €75 million price tag.
Galatasaray, impressed by the forward’s performances during his time on loan, is among several clubs expressing interest in the 26-year-old.
However, Ece argued that such an investment would not be wise given the club’s existing roster and financial position.
“Galatasaray shouldn’t make many transfers. You gave €8 million to Cuesta—what happened?” Ece said in an interview with GsGazete. “If Icardi stays, you don’t need to buy someone like Osimhen anyway.”
He added that signing another high-profile striker would force the team into tactical reshuffling that might not yield results.
“If you’re going to play Icardi and Morata together, you’ll need a 3-5-2 formation. You tried 4-4-2 with Batshuayi—it didn’t work. In a 3-4-1-2, you’d need a number 10 like Mertens.”
Ece warned that poor recruitment decisions could derail Galatasaray’s ambitions in European competitions.
“If you make five out of five good transfers, you’ll succeed in Europe. But if only one out of five works, you’ll fail anyway,” he said.
Addressing suggestions from some fans that the club should raise funds specifically for Osimhen, Ece proposed an alternative.
“Open an Osimhen fund and put the money into a money market account. Seventy million euros would generate 280 million Turkish lira. Let those who want him contribute, if they have the liquidity.”
Instead of pursuing Osimhen, Ece suggested that Galatasaray could sign two quality forwards or scout for talent in less saturated markets like Saudi Arabia.
“Every Galatasaray fan would support that,” he concluded.
