Victor Osimhen has reportedly included a transfer clause in his loan deal with Galatasaray that will allow him to join Arsenal, Chelsea, or Liverpool in the January transfer window, according to reports from Turkey.
Chelsea intensified discussions with Napoli and Osimhen during the final stages of the summer transfer window but failed to finalise a deal for the Nigerian international before the deadline.
Now, the 25-year-old Nigerian striker has agreed to a loan move to Galatasaray for the remainder of the season, with the Turkish champions covering his salary—approximately €210,000 (£176,000) per week—without any loan fee.
The 25-year-old striker was warmly welcomed by Galatasaray supporters upon his arrival in Istanbul in the early hours of Tuesday to complete his medical and finalise the transfer.
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Osimhen had been holding out for a move to the Premier League after rejecting an offer from Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli, whose €80 million (£67.3 million) bid was accepted by Napoli last month.
According to Turkish reports, Osimhen has kept the door open for a potential switch to the Premier League in January.
Turkish outlet A Spor reports that Osimhen insisted on including a clause in his Galatasaray loan deal that would allow him to leave in January if Napoli receives a bid from one of 10 specified clubs.
Turkish journalist Kagan Dursun added that Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Bayern Munich are among the teams on Osimhen’s list.
Meanwhile, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reports that Osimhen’s release clause with Napoli has been reduced to €75 million (£63.2 million).
Napoli also retained the option to extend Osimhen’s contract until 2027 if he is not sold next summer. However, as part of their agreement with Napoli, Galatasaray does not have an option to buy Osimhen at the end of the season.
Osimhen has been pushing to leave Napoli since the summer began and was excluded from every pre-season match by head coach Antonio Conte. After Napoli’s 2-1 victory over Parma on Saturday, Conte made it clear that he had no intention of reintegrating Osimhen if he stayed with the club.
“No, this is the team. This is the group,” Conte said. “We made decisions. I mentioned coherence before. Those who are not consistent don’t respect the rules. I repeat, respect to the club. The president proved consistent despite losing important money; credit where credit is due.”
With the inclusion of his Premier League transfer demand in his loan deal, Osimhen remains a player to watch as the January transfer window approaches.
