Trabzonspor President: We Wanted to Sign Osimhen, But Couldn’t Afford Him

Trabzonspor President, Ertuğrul Doğan, has revealed that his club wanted to sign Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen on loan last summer, but couldn’t afford the deal.

Osimhen, 26, was expected to leave Napoli after a brilliant season. He was linked with several top clubs, especially in the English Premier League, but none of the moves came through. He ended up staying at Napoli.

However, new Napoli coach Antonio Conte left Osimhen out of his squad plans for the season. This meant the Super Eagles striker had to either move to a club outside Europe’s top five leagues or remain in Italy without playing until January.

Osimhen later joined Galatasaray, with the Turkish champions agreeing to pay all his wages. The move has been a success — he has scored 33 goals and provided eight assists in 37 matches, helping Galatasaray close in on the Turkish league title.

Trabzonspor president Doğan has now said that Osimhen was offered to many clubs in Turkey, including Trabzonspor, but they could not compete financially with Galatasaray.

“Agents offered Victor Osimhen to everyone in Turkey,” Doğan told A Spor. “We were one of the clubs, but when we saw the figures, we said we couldn’t do it. If we offered 20, Galatasaray could offer 25.”

Will Osimhen Stay in Turkey?

Although Galatasaray want to keep Osimhen beyond this season, it’s unlikely. With his talent and ambition, the Nigerian forward is expected to move to a bigger league.

Osimhen has been linked to several top clubs in the Premier League, LaLiga and Serie A. He is likely to prioritise a move to a top European club where he can play in major competitions and compete with the best players in the world.