“Anything transfer will be later” — Victor Osimhen’s friend reveals

By Monsurah Olatunji

Amid the ongoing transfer saga of Nigerian footballer Victor Osimhen, his close friend and Nigerian radio sports presenter, Buchi Laba, has shed light on how Napoli frustrated every club that made an attempt to sign the Super Eagles star.

According to Laba, Chelsea was the only club that Napoli gave their attention to, but ultimately, the deal fell through, leaving Osimhen to join Galatasaray on a season-long loan instead.

Osimhen had signed a new contract with Napoli in December 2023 with the explicit intention of leaving the club six months later for a move triggered by his €120m release clause.

However, when no club came close to meeting that figure, and even cheaper deals with Chelsea and Saudi Pro League clubs collapsed on deadline day, the reigning African Player of the Year found himself in the Turkish Super Lig with Galatasaray for the 2024-2025 season.

As of now, reports indicate that Manchester United are exploring a potential swap deal that would send their out-of-favor forward Marcus Rashford to Napoli in exchange for Osimhen.

However, sources suggest that the 26-year-old striker remains unmoved by this interest. His focus remains solely on his current stint at Galatasaray, with any potential transfer put on hold until the summer window.

Osimhen has been consistently linked with a number of top European clubs, including Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, and Juventus, all of whom reportedly retain strong interest in the Nigerian forward. Yet, according to Laba, Napoli’s handling of the situation has been particularly contentious.

“Napoli turned down and frustrated every club interested in Victor Osimhen at the beginning of the season,” Laba shared on X (formerly Twitter).

“The only club they didn’t frustrate is Chelsea, and Chelsea ended up messing up any deal. He’s only focused on playing right now in Gala. Anything transfer will be later.”

With Osimhen continuing his performances in Turkey, it seems likely that the striker’s future will remain in limbo until the summer transfer window, when clubs may be in a better position to meet Napoli’s demands.