Conte and Lukaku are the winners Osimhen transfer saga while Icardi and Chelsea are the losers

Sep 4, 2024 - 14:03

Galatasaray new striker Victor Osimhen looked set to spend the next four months sitting on the sidelines after being exiled by Antonio Conte at Napoli.

The Nigerian failed to complete a move to Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, or the Saudi Pro League and was effectively told he would never play for Napoli again.

However, Galatasaray emerged as a shock contender to sign Osimhen on 2 September and talks progressed extremely quickly. The 25-year-old went to Istanbul to undergo his medical and he has been welcomed by the club’s hugely dedicated fanbase and the rest as they say is history.

Osimhen joined Galatasaray on a season-long loan deal, with the Turkish club able to complete a move due to the fact their summer transfer window is open until 13 September.

With Osimhen signing for Galatasaray, here are the winners and losers of the deal.

Winner – Galatasaray

Galatasaray haven’t agreed a permanent deal for Osimhen, but the fact he’s joining on loan is a real coup for the club.

He is one of the best strikers in world football and his performances since arriving at Napoli in 2019 have been nothing short of spectacular.

Galatasaray have won back-to-back Turkish top-flight titles and the signing of Osimhen means they will once again be favourites to finish first.

Loser - Chelsea

While Osimhen’s move to Galatasaray doesn’t affect Chelsea right now, due to the fact the Premier League window is closed, the Blues will be gutted to have missed out on the Nigerian.

He was their priority target for this summer, but Enzo Maresca’s side was unable to agree a fee with Napoli or personal terms with Osimhen.

Furthermore, Osimehn’s loan move to Galatasaray means the possibility of Chelsea signing him for a cut-price deal in January is now off the table.

Winner - Antonio Conte

Conte will be delighted that Osimhen won’t be around at Napoli this season.

While he is a supremely talented player, the Nigeria international had been cast aside by Conte and problems would’ve arisen if he’d stayed at Napoli until January.

For example, every negative result would’ve been followed by questions about why Osimhen wasn’t picked, and his departure means Conte can focus his attention on players who are committed to the club.

Loser - Saudi Pro League

The allure of the Saudi Pro League already appears to be dwindling slightly and losing out on Osimhen to Galatasaray will be a huge blow.

The richest league in football can’t match the pedigree of the top five divisions in Europe, but the fact that Osimhen opted to leave Napoli for Turkey is damaging to its reputation.

Turkey doesn’t have the heritage of the Premier League or the money of Saudi Arabia, and so Osimhen joining Galatasaray is a worrying sign for the Saudi Pro League.

Winner - Romelu Lukaku

Romeu Lukaku would’ve been a nailed-on starter at Napoli irrespective of Osimhen, but the Nigerian’s departure will be welcomed by the ex-Chelsea forward.

If Osimhen had stayed at Napoli, the temptation to bring him back into the fold may have proved too great and Lukaku would have suffered.

However, with Osimhen out of the picture, he will be the clear number one under Conte and the Belgian will be able to focus on doing what he does best - scoring goals.