Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen says his move to Turkish side Galatasaray “was an easy decision” for him to make.
Osimhen shared this after sealing a season-long loan move from Italian Serie A side Napoli on Wednesday.
He highlighted the size of the club and its incredible fans as some of the reasons he decided to put pen to paper.
“When I heard about Galatasaray’s interest, it was an easy decision for me,” Osimhen said. “I knew how big Galatasaray was, how much of a family it felt like. It has incredible fans.”
The 24-year-old added that a key factor in his decision was the recommendation of Super Eagles forward Henry Onyekuru, a former Galatasaray player, who Osimhen described as a friend.
“Henry Onyekuru is my friend. He played for Galatasaray. He told me how great the club, the fans, and the people here are. So it was an easy decision for me,” Osimhen added.
The Nigerian international is also looking forward to reuniting with his former Napoli teammate Dries Mertens, calling the Belgian a “big brother” figure.
“He was always with me when I went to Italy. He was like a big brother to me. He is someone I respect very much. I am very excited to be his teammate again.”
Osimhen revealed that he had already been closely following Galatasaray’s matches, particularly Mertens’ performances.
“I was already watching Galatasaray matches. I was following how Mertens was playing since he came here. I was following how he was developing as a person and as a player. Their interaction with the fans when they score goals and win matches is also exciting.”
The striker expressed his eagerness to experience that connection with the Galatasaray faithful, saying, “Now I hope that our fans will support me after every goal. I am waiting with excitement.”
Galatasaray Sports Club President Dursun Aydın Özbek underlined the significance of Osimhen’s arrival, describing it as a “very important transfer for Galatasaray and Turkish sports.”
Özbek emphasized the club’s high expectations for the Nigerian, stating, “Especially in our struggle in Europe and our goal of becoming the fifth star in Turkey, Galatasaray has very high expectations from him. I am sure he will meet these expectations.”
