When Galatasaray signed Victor Osimhen for €75 million this summer, the move shocked much of European football.
It was a record fee for a Turkish club and a decisive statement of ambition. “We spent a lot of money,” Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk told The Athletic, “It was like a miracle for a Turkish team to sign someone for €75 million (approximately $88 million).”
For the Premier League, where several top clubs spent the off-season searching for a reliable centre-forward, the deal raised a sharper question: how did one of Europe’s most consistent goalscorers slip past England’s richest teams?
On Tuesday night in Istanbul, Osimhen gave another reminder of what was available.
He started against Liverpool despite late fitness doubts and scored the winning penalty in the UEFA Champions League league-stage match that kept Galatasaray’s strong start alive.
Beyond the goal, his performance was dynamic and relentless. He sprinted behind defenders, pressed with intelligence and created chances for teammates.
A delicate lob that drifted just wide of the advancing Alisson came close to being one of the goals of the season.
Even without full sharpness, he unsettled one of Europe’s most organized defenses.
Victor Osimhen (L) of Galatasaray in action against Curtis Jones (L) of Liverpool during the UEFA Champions League week 2 match, Istanbul, Türkiye, September, 30, 2025. (AA Photo)
Galatasaray’s record gamble with Victor Osimhen
Galatasaray had unusual certainty before spending so heavily. Osimhen had spent the 2024–25 season on loan from Napoli and scored 37 goals in 41 appearances.
Supporters quickly embraced him, and he became a key part of the dressing room. “He loved our supporters, and they loved him,” Buruk said. “There was a really big connection. He was very happy here.”
The €75 million fee shattered the club’s previous transfer ceiling, which had stood at €20 million.
However, the Istanbul side believed the risk was worth taking after seeing him dominate domestically and in Europe. The financial package also worked in their favor.
Osimhen earns about €15 million a year in salary and another €5 million in image rights, roughly €400,000 per week.
Thanks to Türkiye’s 20% top tax rate, he keeps far more than he would in England, where higher taxes would require a much larger gross wage.
Money alone did not decide the move. Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal reportedly offered almost double Galatasaray’s salary offer, yet Osimhen chose Istanbul.
Champions League football, passionate crowds at Rams Park and a team built around him proved more attractive than higher pay elsewhere.
Galatasarays Victor Osimhen reacts during Turkish Super Lig week 35 football match between Trabzonspor and Galatasaray at Papara Park in Trabzon, Türkiye, May 10, 2025. (AA Photo)
England’s search for strikers
The summer transfer market showed how many Premier League sides needed a proven goalscorer.
Liverpool explored forwards but prioritized Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak. Arsenal signed Viktor Gyokeres after his prolific spell in Portugal, despite limited top-league experience.
Chelsea added Liam Delap and Joao Pedro, betting on youth and potential resale value.
Manchester United spent on 21-year-old Benjamin Sesko rather than an established name. Newcastle United, facing the possibility of losing Isak, avoided a marquee replacement and turned to Nick Woltemade.
All these choices had internal logic, younger players are cheaper, can grow in value and fit wage structures, but none arrived with Osimhen’s scoring record in Serie A and the Super Lig or his proven ability to trouble English defences.
The Nigerian has now scored six times in six career matches against Premier League opposition, including goals against Tottenham, Leicester City and Chelsea before this week’s strike against Liverpool.
Victor Osimhen of Galatasaray gestures during the Turkish Super Lig week 28 football match between Galatasaray and Onvo Antalyaspor at RAMS Park, Istanbul, Türkiye, March 14, 2025. (AA Photo)
Why Premier League clubs walked away
Several factors made English executives wary, according to reporting from The Athletic and Turkish media that amplified the debate.
Transfer cost was the first hurdle. Napoli refused to reduce their €75 million asking price even after long negotiations with Galatasaray. Adding a huge salary would have taken total spending beyond what some clubs were willing to commit.
Wages and taxes also mattered. Osimhen’s €400,000 per week is after image-rights income and favorable Turkish taxation.
Matching that net amount in England would have required a far higher gross wage.
The Africa Cup of Nations created another layer of hesitation. Clubs knew Osimhen would likely miss December and January to represent Nigeria, a risk when paying a record fee for a central striker.
Persistent injury concerns added to caution.
The forward has had repeated muscle problems throughout his career and has already missed several matches this season despite a strong start.
Some scouts also doubted the reliability of his scoring record. After leading Napoli to the 2022–23 Serie A title, his form dipped the following year.
Scoring heavily against teams such as Konyaspor and Goztepe in Türkiye did not fully convince every Premier League recruitment department.
There were even character questions. At least one English club gathered negative reports on his personality. Yet, people who worked with him in Istanbul described him as a positive influence and a crucial dressing-room figure.
Galatasaray, they argued, would not have risked such a historic outlay on a disruptive player.
A recent story underlined his off-field side: after watching a TV report about a boy in Ankara recovering from surgery who dreamed Osimhen appeared at his bedside, the striker invited the child and family to training and gave him a signed shirt.
Galatasarays Victor Osimhen celebrates after scoring a goal during the Turkish Super Lig week 34 match between Galatasaray and Net Global Sivasspor at RAMS Park, Istanbul, Türkiye, May 3, 2025. (AA Photo)
Calculated bet with Osimhen that strengthens Galatasaray’s profile
For Galatasaray, the signing goes beyond goals. It signals that Türkiye’s biggest club can still compete for marquee names despite competition from wealthier leagues.
The move has boosted the club’s international visibility and energized supporters.
It also reinforced a sporting model in which the club tests a player on loan before making a permanent investment, rare at this scale but successful here.
Financially, the decision stretched the club but remained feasible because of local tax rules and image-rights structures.
Beating Saudi Arabia’s higher salary offer showed that environment and competitive football still matter.
Champions League nights at Rams Park and adoration from fans outweighed the lure of a bigger paycheck elsewhere.
Growing debate in England
The move has triggered debate in British football media.
Nick Miller of The Athletic, whose column was widely cited in Türkiye by several outlets, argued that “there were many arguments against a move for Osimhen, but there were arguably more for it.”
His question, why no Premier League club acted, dominated headlines after the Liverpool match.
English recruitment strategies often prioritize long-term value over immediate certainty.
Clubs prefer younger strikers who might increase in worth, even if unproven at the very top.
But for teams competing for titles and Champions League places, ready-made scorers can be decisive.
October 02, 2025 12:29 PM GMT+03:00
