Victor Osimhen’s Galatasaray contract reportedly includes a £61 million ($81.98 million) penalty clause that blocks a move to Serie A, with Liverpool set to face the Nigerian forward in the Champions League after Manchester United chose not to sign him in 2023.
Like Wesley Sneijder, Toni Kroos and Juan Roman Riquelme before him, Osimhen has long been linked with a Premier League switch despite never featuring in England’s top flight.
The striker finally brought an end to years of transfer speculation last summer by completing a permanent move from Napoli to Galatasaray after spending the 2024-25 season on loan in Istanbul. For a long time, a blockbuster transfer to England appeared inevitable.
Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal were all credited with serious interest at different stages, yet none succeeded in completing a deal. A new window of opportunity may now have opened.
Although Osimhen has said he “loves Istanbul,” his admission that he does “not know what the future holds” has intensified rumors about a possible summer exit from Galatasaray.
Some clubs, however, could find a transfer difficult due to a little-known clause in his contract that restricts moves to certain destinations, effectively narrowing his options.
Secret clause
Juventus are said to be preparing for a major push to sign Osimhen this summer. Talk of a move to Turin grew after the striker declined to celebrate his goal against Juve in last week’s Champions League tie — later explaining it was out of respect for former Napoli coach Luciano Spalletti, now in charge of the Bianconeri.
Yet Juventus’ pursuit may be more symbolic than realistic. According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Galatasaray would be forced to pay a £61 million ($81.8 million) fee to Napoli if they sell Osimhen to a Serie A side this year. The clause is expected to fall to £53 million ($71.1 million) next year before expiring entirely on September 1, 2027.
This financial barrier makes a return to Italy unlikely in the short term and could give Premier League clubs a clear advantage, as they would not be affected by the restriction. While there are currently no strong links to English sides, Chelsea could revive their interest following summer signing Liam Delap’s difficulties.
The Blues were close to landing Osimhen in 2024, having almost finalized a loan deal with an obligation to buy from Napoli. However, negotiations collapsed due to disagreements over wages.
Man Utd’s rejection
Chelsea were not the only English club to consider Osimhen. Manchester United had the chance to sign him in 2023 after his 31-goal, title-winning season with Napoli.
But with Napoli demanding around $130 million, United pulled out. Former assistant coach Benni McCarthy later revealed that Osimhen’s regular absence for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) was also viewed internally as a major concern.
“If you spend £100m on a player, you don’t want to lose him for AFCON,” McCarthy told the BBC last month. “I think he would have been very successful there. But it was a big stumbling block. Losing him for so many key matches hurt the team. So the decision was made — a big part was because of AFCON, and Victor Osimhen’s name was crossed off the list.”
Instead, United turned to Rasmus Hojlund. After a largely underwhelming two seasons at Old Trafford, scoring 26 goals in 95 appearances, Hojlund joined Napoli on loan last summer.
Liverpool namedropped
Galatasaray have now been drawn against Liverpool in the Champions League round of 16 — the very opponent Osimhen admitted he hoped to avoid. The Turkish side reached the knockout phase after a dramatic 7-5 aggregate victory over Juventus in the playoffs.
Having won the first leg 5-2, Gala were expected to progress comfortably. However, Juve staged a stunning comeback in the return leg, racing into a 3-0 lead despite playing most of the match with 10 men, forcing extra time. Osimhen restored Galatasaray’s aggregate advantage with a crucial goal before Baris Alper Yilmaz sealed the tie with a late strike.
Before the draw, Galatasaray knew they would face either Liverpool or Tottenham in the last 16, and Osimhen was open about his preference. He revealed he wanted to avoid the Reds, warning they would be “out for revenge” after Galatasaray beat them in the group stage in September.
“I’ll be honest, meeting Liverpool now would feel like revenge for them,” he told CBS Sport. “Anyone we face won’t be easy, but I would prefer to avoid Liverpool. If they come, we’ll fight it out — but it won’t be simple.
“This is the Champions League. No team is small. If you want to win, you have to face the big sides and make a statement. We haven’t played Liverpool at Anfield yet, so that would be an incredible match.”
While Osimhen clearly respects Liverpool under Arne Slot, the club’s signings of Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak last summer effectively rule them out of any future transfer battle for his signature.
