Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen has spoken candidly about his final months at SSC Napoli, claiming the Italian club broke a gentleman’s agreement and treated him unfairly despite his role in their historic 2022 to 2023 Serie A triumph.
In an exclusive interview with Gazzetta dello Sport published on Monday, February 17, the 26-year-old Nigeria international said Napoli failed to honour a prior understanding that he would be allowed to leave the club following his contract extension in December 2023.
“We had a gentleman’s agreement that I could move the following summer, but it wasn’t fully respected,” Osimhen said. “They tried to push me in different directions — go here, go there. After everything I sacrificed to build my career, I couldn’t accept being treated that way. I’m not a puppet.”
Osimhen was the top scorer in Serie A during Napoli’s championship-winning 2022 to 2023 season under Luciano Spalletti, helping the club secure its first title in over three decades. However, his relationship with the club deteriorated sharply the following season after Napoli posted a TikTok video in September 2023 mocking his penalty miss against Bologna. The video, which featured squeaky voice effects and imagery comparing Osimhen to a coconut, was swiftly deleted but triggered a breakdown in relations.
“Anyone can miss a penalty, anyone can be mocked for it. Napoli only did it to me, and with certain innuendos, too. I was the victim of racist insults, and I made my decision: I wanted to leave,” Osimhen said. “No one ever publicly apologised for what happened.”
The striker also revealed that Juventus Football Club (FC) showed serious interest in signing him before his eventual move to Turkey. He confirmed that Cristiano Giuntoli, Juventus’ sporting director, personally contacted him before talks with Galatasaray advanced.
“Yes, just as I could be at two other top Serie A clubs today. Before negotiations with Galatasaray began, Giuntoli called me to bring me to Juve,” Osimhen said. “I spoke to a couple of people at the club, and they showed interest, but I knew he wouldn’t let me go.”
Osimhen was referring to Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis, whom he refused to name directly throughout the interview. A move to Juventus would have echoed Gonzalo Higuaín’s controversial 2016 transfer from Napoli to the Turin giants, a saga that remains deeply sensitive for Napoli supporters.
Osimhen eventually completed a permanent transfer to Galatasaray in 2025, following an initial loan spell during the 2024 to 2025 season. The deal was worth €75 million, structured as €40 million upfront and €35 million in instalments to be paid by the end of 2026. The agreement also included a clause preventing Galatasaray from selling Osimhen to any Italian club for two years and a 10% sell-on clause in favour of Napoli.
Now thriving in Turkey, Osimhen has become a central figure for Galatasaray, registering 15 goals and three assists in 22 appearances across all competitions this season as Okan Buruk’s side pursue a fourth consecutive league title. He was named the top scorer in the Turkish Süper Lig for the 2024 to 2025 season with 26 goals in 30 matches and finished third in the 2025 Confederation of African Football (CAF) Player of the Year voting.
Osimhen said he had attempted to preserve a respectful relationship with Napoli despite the fallout. “I feel sorry for the fans, especially because I’ve never spoken about what happened. Some of them showed up at my house asking for explanations. We talked, and I asked them to put themselves in my shoes,” he said.
The striker also disclosed that Antonio Conte, who took over as Napoli coach in the summer of 2024, had wanted him to stay. “I said I would have loved to work with him, but I had already made my decision: I didn’t want to continue working in a place where I didn’t feel comfortable,” Osimhen explained.
On Tuesday, February 18, Galatasaray will face Juventus in the UEFA Champions League knockout play-off round, marking Osimhen’s return to Italy to play against the club that once sought his signature.
