Trabzonspor president Ertuğrul Doğan has revealed that the Turkish club were unable to sign Victor Osimhen due to financial demands.
Despite their interest in the Nigerian striker, Trabzonspor could not meet the financial demands of Napoli, who eventually loaned Osimhen to Galatasaray.
The Turkish Super Lig club remains in search of a new striker but has been unable to afford top-tier talents. Trabzonspor had been linked with Paul Onuachu throughout the summer but could not meet Southampton’s valuation for the forward.
Doğan mentioned that Osimhen’s name was suggested to the club, but the financial requirements were beyond Trabzonspor’s reach.
“Osimhen was also suggested to us, but it is not possible for us to reach those figures. Our rivals are paying two players as much as our total squad. You will get it according to your money,” Doğan told Turkish news outlet Sabah Spor.
Osimhen will spend the 2024/25 season with Turkish Super Lig champions Galatasaray, who managed to acquire him despite interest from several major clubs. The move came after Osimhen’s fallout with Napoli’s new manager, Antonio Conte, and his subsequent loss of the No. 9 shirt to Romelu Lukaku.
Meanwhile, Doğan also hinted that Trabzonspor is in talks with another Nigerian striker, Gift Orban. “Gift Orban is a player we have talked to. If our coach has a request, we will work to fulfill it quickly,” he added.
Orban has struggled for playing time since joining Olympique Lyon in January. This season, he has made just one appearance in Ligue 1, coming off the bench to score a brace against Racing Strasbourg before the international break.
Galatasaray’s acquisition of Osimhen was a significant coup, considering his impressive record of 55 Serie A goals for Napoli over the past three seasons, including a 26-goal haul in the 2022/23 campaign that secured Napoli’s first Scudetto in over three decades. Despite interest from Premier League club Chelsea and Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli late in the summer transfer window, neither deal materialised.
