Galatasaray supporters turned out in droves and stayed out until the early hours of the morning to welcome new signing Victor Osimhen.
Osimhen is on the brink of joining Galatasaray on a season-long loan deal from Napoli.
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Osimhen had been heavily linked with a move to Saudi Arabia and Chelsea throughout the summer, but a transfer never materialised.
The Saudi Pro League team, Al Ahli, had reached an agreement with Napoli for an initial loan with a £67 million commitment to purchase, but Osimhen declined the chance.
Chelsea also pushed hard to sign Osimhen on deadline day but failed to reach an agreement over his wages.
Osimhen’s situation at Napoli became more uncertain when the club took away his No. 9 jersey and gave it to newcomer Romelu Lukaku, who transferred from Chelsea in a £30 million deal earlier in the window.
Napoli also elected to remove Osimhen from their first team squad list in another drastic move to push the 25-year-old out the exit door.
However, Osimhen has been given a vital exit route out of Naples by Turkish giants Galatasaray.
The Turkish transfer window remains open until September 13, allowing Galatasaray to swoop in and sign the Nigerian marksman for the 2024-25 season.
Even though the move has not been rubber-stamped, Galatasaray fans were ready to party as they rocked up in numbers to welcome Osimhen to Istanbul.
Osimhen had a Galatasaray scarf draped around his neck and sported a beaming smile as he conducted the supporters in a chant.
Fans also ripped flares and were seen dancing in the street, signifying the magnitude of Osimhen’s imminent signing.
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Manchester City star Ilkay Gundogan was also taken aback by Osimhen’s arrival.
Ilkay Gundogan expressed his surprise in the comments of an Instagram post by transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, which mentioned that Osimhen was heading to Istanbul, saying: “Wow… crazy”.
At Galatasaray, Osimhen is set to reunite with former Napoli teammate Dries Mertens, who remains the club’s all-time leading goalscorer with 148.
Alongside Mertens, Osimhen will compete with Mauro Icardi and Michy Batshuayi for a spot in the starting lineup.
Although Osimhen’s switch to Galatasaray keeps him in European football, he won’t be taking part in this year’s Champions League.
The 24-time Turkish Super Lig champions lost to Young Boys in a Champions League play-off, consigning them to the Europa League where they will face Tottenham and Ajax.
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