Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen is set to wear Galatasaray’s iconic No. 9 jersey from the 2026/27 season following the departure of Mauro Icardi, according to Turkish outlet Habersarikirmizi.
Osimhen has worn the No. 45 shirt since completing his move to the Turkish champions, with Icardi retaining the famous No. 9 jersey during his time at the club.
With the Argentine forward no longer part of the squad, Galatasaray have reportedly decided to hand the prestigious number to the Nigerian international ahead of the new campaign.
Turkish journalist Ali Naci Küçük revealed that the club deliberately delayed reassigning the No. 9 shirt out of respect for Icardi and his contributions to Galatasaray.
The club’s hierarchy reportedly chose not to allocate the number while Icardi remained associated with the team, preferring to wait until his departure before making a decision.
Osimhen will now inherit one of the most iconic shirt numbers in world football, a move widely viewed as further evidence of his growing importance to Galatasaray’s long-term plans.
Interestingly, Icardi also had to wait before wearing the famous jersey. The former Argentina international initially played with the No. 99 shirt after joining Galatasaray before eventually switching to No. 9.
Osimhen is now set to follow a similar path, replacing his No. 45 shirt with the club’s traditional striker’s number as he prepares for another season leading the line for the reigning Turkish Super Lig champions.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey 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.
