'I really don't care' - Galatasaray striker Osimhen insists he's not focused on winning top scorer award

Napoli loanee Victor Osimhen has insisted that he is not chasing personal glory at Galatasaray but focusing instead on the objectives of the team.

The Nigeria international sealed a shock move to the Turkish champions last month, joining them on a season-long loan after proposed transfers to Chelsea and Al-Ahli fell through on deadline day in the top five European leagues.  

He was prepared to stay at Napoli until the January transfer window but a phone call from Galatasaray coach Okan Buruk convinced him to head to Turkey. 

Osimhen has a history of goalscoring accolades for club and country, having won the Golden Boot at the 2015 Fifa U17 World Cup and Paolo Rossi Award for the 2022-2023 season.

He has had a blistering start to life in Turkey in terms of goal involvements, six (2 goals, 4 assists) in four games. 

Having fired blanks in his first three games as a Galatasaray player, the reigning African Footballer of the Year ended his mini goal drought with a double in a 3-3 draw against Kasimpasa, but picked up an injury that kept him out of contention to be included in the Super Eagles squad for the internationals in October. 

In the race for the top scorer award in the Turkish Super Lig, Osimhen is lagging behind, with Besiktas' Ciro Immobile topping the scoring chart with seven goals, followed by Fenerbahce's Edin Dzeko and İstanbul Başakşehir duo Krzysztof Piatek and João Figueiredo who have five goals each. 

Asked to comment on the race for the top scorer award, Osimhen told Galatasaray's YouTube page: "These are really great goalscorers in the history of football as well as myself, but of course the people that know me know me so well that I am not the kind of player that puts myself before the team.

"My ambition coming to Galatasaray was not to win the highest goalscorer but of course to contribute to the quality the team already has.

"I have great respect for Icardi for what he has done for football and in Galatasaray. He's a big legend here and we have seen how me and him can really work well on the pitch.

"I don't care about being the highest goalscorer in the league. If it comes, it comes, if it happens, it happens but my individual brilliance as well as my teammates is what is paramount for this great club.

"I just want to add to myself. When I get my opportunities, of course, I want to score. I want to give assists, I want to fight for my teammates, I want to help them in defence and attack just as the coach has instructed me to do.

"I'm ready to give my all. The goals are important but to win the highest goalscorer I really don't care. Even if I win it, the collective success of this club is what is paramount."

Osimhen will resume full training with his Galatasaray teammates on Thursday ahead of their Super Lig meeting with 
Antalyaspor on October 19.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel 

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