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Galatasaray reveal January clause in Osimhen deal
Galatasaray’s technical director, Okan Buruk, has confirmed the existence of a clause in Victor Osimhen’s loan agreement with Napoli, which permits the striker to transfer to another club during the January transfer window.
The revelation came during an interview on Galatasaray’s official website, as reported by News360 Nigeria.
Buruk discussed various topics related to the Turkish champions and acknowledged Osimhen’s commitment to staying with the team until the end of the season.
However, he admitted that the Nigerian striker’s move to Galatasaray initially seemed unlikely, especially following early discussions with Mauro Icardi.
Osimhen has been the subject of interest from several top European clubs, making the January transfer window a period of anticipation for Galatasaray fans.
Despite the uncertainty, Buruk’s comments suggest that the Turkish champions are prepared for all eventualities regarding the star forward’s future.
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He said, ”Osimhen has the intention of staying here until the end of the season. He also wants to stay; he said the same thing at the beginning.
“There is a clause there, but it doesn’t matter; he said he will stay. There is a clause about transfers in January. This clause has different things.
“The important thing is the player. The player who decides. That’s why Osimhen says he will stay here. He said the same thing when he came.”
Recalling the genesis of the process of securing the services of the 25-year-old Nigeria striker, Buruk said, “We went to Milan. I go there when I have permission. I lived there for three years. I know the place; it’s food and drink… Gardi is my friend.
“We didn’t talk about football. We just sat there and had dinner. We met for two days. I went to Inter Milan; I didn’t go to the facility but to the club. We had dinner. There is someone who was in the infrastructure during my time and is now a senior manager.
“He knows all of our players. All of the players’ names were mentioned. These kinds of meetings are good. Gardi told me there was such and such a thing about Osimhen. It didn’t seem realistic at first.
“Then there was our Adana Demirspor match. We had a video call at the airport after the match. We evaluated it with the transfer committee. We took it to the president. We got the president’s approval. Then the transfer took place.”
Osimhen joined Galatasaray on the last day of the summer transfer window after late transfer negotiations with Chelsea and Al Ahly fell through. He quickly settled into life in Istanbul, having noticed eight goals and four assists in nine appearances across all competitions for the club.