Balotelli is delighted Osimhen will wear jersey No. 45 at Galatasaray

Italian striker Mario Balotelli seems delighted that Victor Osimhen has picked the No. 45 at Galatasaray following a loan move from Napoli.

Osimhen has joined Galatasaray on a dry loan deal from Napoli and extended his contract with the Partenopei until 2027 before signing for Gala.

The Nigeria international has picked the squad No. 45 at his new club. It’s a familiar number for Italian striker Balotelli, who promptly reacted on social media.

Balotelli liked the Instagram post showing Osimhen with his new shirt and commented on it with a fire emoji.

The 34-year-old striker wore the No. 45 at many clubs in his career, including Inter, Liverpool, Manchester City, Milan, Brescia, Monza and Adana Demirspor, the last team he played for.

Balotelli is currently without a club but there are rumours that he may join Serie B side Palermo on a free transfer.

The former Inter and Milan striker has scored 52 goals in 141 Serie A matches.

Meanwhile, Sky Sport Italia clarifies that Napoli will not pay Osimhen a penny of his salary during his one-season loan at Galatasaray.

Osimhen officially joined Galatasaray on loan from Napoli on Wednesday after talks with PSG, Chelsea, and Al-Ahli had collapsed during the 2024 summer transfer window.

Galatasaray announced that they’d be paying just €6m from the striker’s €10m-a-year wage during the 2024-25 campaign, but according to Sky Sport, the Partenopei won’t cover the outstanding sum.

The Serie A giants are committed to paying Osimhen’s wages for July and August, which he spent at the club, but they will not pay him a penny of his salary until the end of the season.

This means that Osimhen has practically taken a pay cut to leave the Partenopei after being frozen out of the team.

Osimhen scored 76 goals in 133 appearances with the Partenopei. He extended his contract at the Stadio Maradona until 2027 before leaving the club on loan.