FLARE GROUND Chaos as Victor Osimhen is greeted by flare-wielding Galatasaray fans as he leads them in chant at 4am after transfer

Osimhen had been frozen out by Napoli after his proposed deal to Chelsea collapsed on deadline day

Posted Thursday, September 05, 2024 by Thesun.co.uk

VICTOR OSIMHEN was given a hero's welcome to Galatasaray before even completing his switch.

Osimhen was greeted by flare-wielding fans and chants late into the night after he landed in Turkey to finalise his move to Galatasaray.

FLARE GROUND Chaos as Victor Osimhen is greeted by flare-wielding Galatasaray fans as he leads them in chant at 4am after transfer
Victor Osimhen was given a hero's welcome to Galatasary in the early hours of the morning Credit: Getty

FLARE GROUND Chaos as Victor Osimhen is greeted by flare-wielding Galatasaray fans as he leads them in chant at 4am after transfer
Osimhen was swarmed by Galatasaray supporters upon his arrival Credit: Getty

Osimhen is set to put pen to paper on one-year loan move to the Turkish giants after seeing his proposed switch to Chelsea collapse on deadline day.

Galatasaray confirmed they were in talks with Osimhen over the deal on social media and even streamed their own live video of his arrival into Istanbul on their YouTube account.

A post from the club on social media read: "Official negotiations have begun with the football player and his club SSCN Napoli SPA regarding the temporary transfer of professional footballer Victor James Osimhen."

Fans made sure to show Osimhen the kind of love they give their players upon his arrival with lines of flares welcoming his car down the street.

The Nigerian striker gave some back to his soon-to-be supporters too, donning a Galatasary scarf and leading the fans in a chant.

The 25-year-old was beaming having taken a step closer to getting back on the pitch after an exile from Napoli.

Osimhen had been told he would not play for Napoli this season after failing to secure a move to Chelsea.

The prolific bagsman has already been replaced by Romelu Lukaku, with the Italian giants sealing a £38m deal for the Belgian.

Osimhen looked certain to complete his "dream" Premier League move to Chelsea earlier in the window.

But both parties failed to land on agreement on deadline day, opening the door for his loan switch to Galatasaray.

His proposed move to the 24-time Turkish champions is said to be a straight loan with no option or obligation to buy.

However, it's claimed that Galatasary will cover the entirety of his £240,000-per-week salary during the loan.

Reports have also claimed that Napoli have renegotiated the release clause in his contract to drop from £113m down to £63m - increasing his chances of a permanent exit next summer.

Osimhen scored 17 goals and registered four assists in all competitions for Napoli last season.

The star forward had also come close to agreeing a switch to Saudi Arabian side Al-Ahli this summer too, but ultimately chose to snub a move to the Middle East.

The Saudi Pro League outfit instead signed Brentford and England striker Ivan Toney who is said to be earning an eye-watering £403,000-per-week with the club.