Napoli Chief reveals reluctance to loan Osimhen amidst offers before move to Turkey

By Saheed Afolabi

Napoli’s sporting director, Giovanni Manna, disclosed that the club was initially hesitant to allow Nigeria forward Victor Osimhen to leave on loan, despite interest from clubs in England, Saudi Arabia, and France.

Ultimately, Osimhen signed a season-long loan deal with Galatasaray.

Manna explained that the club was resistant to a loan arrangement and had previously discussed various offers with other teams.

However, the Galatasaray deal emerged late, coinciding with the closure of the transfer market in Italy, and both parties viewed it as a suitable resolution to the ongoing transfer negotiations.

“At the beginning, we were not open to the loan, something that had also been discussed with other teams,” Manna was quoted as saying on Radio CRC.

“But then Galatasaray came forward when the market was closed in Italy, and we found a solution that was right for everyone. Obviously, we would have liked to sell Osimhen.”

Since joining Galatasaray, Osimhen has resumed training and provided an assist in his debut match. The Yellow and Red are set to face their city rivals, Fenerbahçe, in the first derby of the Turkish season on Saturday, September 21.