'It didn't seem realistic' - Galatasaray coach admits he did not believe Osimhen deal was possible

Galatasaray coach Okan Buruk has admitted that he initially doubted the possibility of the Turkish Super Lig champions signing Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen.

The Lion benefited from the inability of Chelsea and other suitors to persuade Napoli to part away with the 25-year-old by signing him on a loan deal.

The arrival of the 2023 African Men's Footballer of the Year at the RAMS Park was unpredictable at the start of the last transfer window as he was tipped to either move to the Premier League or return to the Ligue 1.

With Napoli not receiving a satisfactory offer for his services before the closure of the transfer window in the top five leagues in Europe and with the club signing Romelu Lukaku, Osimhen became dispensable which informed his exclusion from the squad.

Therefore, the Serie A outfit had to accept Galatasaray's offer to sign him on loan till the end of the season to prevent the club from paying a non-active player.

In an interview with HT Spor via gazete duvaR, Buruk admitted that he didn't deem it feasible at first  that his side would be able to sign Osimhen, when George Gardi, the agent who brokered the deal approached him about signing the striker.

"He told me 'There is such and such thing about Osimhen'. It didn't seem realistic at first. Then there was our Adana Demirspor match," Okan Buruk stated.

"We had a video call at the airport after the match. We evaluated it with the transfer committee. We took it to the chairman. We got the chairman's approval. After that, the transfer took place."

Osimhen has had a blistering start to life with the Lion, which has sparked speculation about the possibility of the club signing him permanently, as well as Chelsea being credited with an interest in his services.

Speaking about the future of the Nigeria international, Buruk said: "He intends to stay here until the end of the season.

"There is a clause in the contract regarding transfers in January, but it doesn't matter, he said he will stay.

"What matters is the player. The player who makes the decision. That's why Osimhen says he will stay here. He said the same thing when he came.

"There is a 75 million euro exit clause. Galatasaray will force all conditions. It won't happen right away, maybe it will happen at the end of the season.

"Galatasaray management, fans and technical director want Osimhen to stay here and will do whatever is necessary. Osimhen will not play for any team other than Galatasaray in Turkey."

With Mauro Icardi ruled out for the rest of the season, the Turkish tactician will be hoping Osimhen returns injury-free after his involvement with the Super Eagles in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Abdulkareem Abdulhamid

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