Fenerbahçe manager José Mourinho has hailed Victor Osimhen’s transfer to Galatasaray, saying the Nigerian striker’s arrival is a big boost for Turkish football.
Osimhen joined Galatasaray on a season-long loan last week after a protracted summer transfer window experience with Napoli.
Speaking in a recent interview with Turkish media HT Spor, Mourinho praised Osimhen’s abilities, calling him a fantastic player and emphasizing how his move will elevate the league’s profile.
“Osimhen is a fantastic player. If I was in a club with the potential to pay €70-75m, I would buy him. He’s a fantastic player. Of course, he comes in different circumstances, but in the end, it doesn’t matter; what matters is that Galatasaray has a fantastic player,” the Fenerbahçe boss said.
Mourinho, who has managed some of the world’s top clubs, believes that Osimhen’s presence in Turkey will enhance the league’s competitiveness.
“For the Turkish league, it’s fantastic, and for Galatasaray, he’s fantastic too,” he added.
Despite his admiration for the forward, Mourinho mentioned an area of Osimhen’s game that he feels needs improvement, specifically his tendency to go down too easily during matches. Mourinho recalled a conversation he had with the Nigerian striker during his time at Roma.
“I don’t have problems with Victor; in fact, we have a very good relationship. But every time I play against him, I speak with him because I don’t like the way he behaves. He dives too much, and I had this conversation with him the last time we played Roma vs Napoli,” Mourinho explained.
Mourinho also took the opportunity to compare Osimhen to some of the greatest African footballers, urging him to maintain a high standard.
“I told him: ‘Look, you are one of the two best African players, it’s you and Salah. In the past, Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto’o, George Weah. He can’t behave like this.’ He dives too much, and that’s my problem with him.”
However, he downplayed the issue, stating that it hasn’t affected their relationship.
“After 10 minutes, we are fine. We have a good relationship,” he said.