Napoli promoting Victor Osimhen to Galatasaray for €75m could be seen by many various angles as a cut price, a missed alternative, a sacrifice, or a boon for all involved. However how is that doable?
Simply a few years in the past, President Aurelio De Laurentiis declared he had turned down an Al-Hilal provide value €200m for the Nigerian striker, who then was contemporary off a Scudetto victory and Capocannoniere standing in Serie A.
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As at all times with a soccer membership proprietor who can be a Hollywood film producer, every thing he says is to be taken with a pinch of salt, bringing his day job to the world of Calcio with PR spin and the facility of fine publicity.
“Your €200m provide can purchase a single foot of Osimhen,” ADL reportedly wrote to the Saudi Professional League facet. “For subsequent 12 months, I feel you’ll have the ability to provide €500m and we’ll in all probability think about your provide, however I’ll repeat myself: possibly.”
With that in thoughts, certainly seeing no person prepared to satisfy the €120m launch clause and finally is to be seen as a horrible failure, isn’t it? Don’t be so certain.
How a lot did Napoli pay for Osimhen in 2022?
REGGIO NELL’EMILIA, ITALY – FEBRUARY 28: Victor Osimhen of SSC Napoli celebrates scoring his staff’s second objective through the Serie A TIM match between US Sassuolo and SSC Napoli at Mapei Stadium – Citta’ del Tricolore on February 28, 2024 in Reggio nell’Emilia, Italy. (Picture by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Photographs)
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So many query marks stay over how a lot Osimhen truly price Napoli once they signed him from LOSC in 2022. The largest alarm bells come from the truth that De Laurentiis, who’s normally so tight-lipped in relation to the cash he spends,
“It’s a price near €80m. That’s €70m payable over 5 years and €10m in bonuses if sure outcomes are achieved. Lille took 4 gamers from us, Karnezis, Manzo, Palmieri and Liguori. They’re two separate operations.”
These 4 gamers had been valued for the needs of this deal at a complete of €20m, which is ludicrous should you think about that three had been youth staff figures who by no means even bought to put on the Lille jersey, going out on mortgage and finally getting their contracts terminated early free of charge, and the opposite was a second alternative goalkeeper.
So let’s say that being completely beneficiant, Osimhen price Napoli €50m in 2022. That might make his sale for €75m a cut price for them. Might they’ve earned extra from his exit earlier? Completely. Nonetheless, the regrets are minimal.
ISTANBUL, TURKEY – JANUARY 21: Victor Osimhen of Galatasaray reacts to a missed likelihood through the UEFA Europa League 2024/25 League Section MD7 match between Galatasaray A.S. and FC Dynamo Kyiv at Ali Sami Yen Spor Kompleksi on January 21, 2025 in Istanbul, Turkey. (Picture by Ahmad Mora/Getty Photographs)
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That’s as a result of Osimhen can’t be completely content material with the way in which issues panned out both. If he noticed Napoli as a mere stepping stone to larger issues, then why power his manner out in 2024 by refusing to play for them once more, after which find yourself at Galatasaray? In no significant manner may or not it’s thought of a step up in his profession. Each golf equipment are within the Champions League, have insanely passionate supporters, and guarantee huge merchandising gross sales.
Allow us to not neglect that he solely went to Istanbul as a result of all of the Premier League golf equipment, Paris Saint-Germain, Actual Madrid and the others refused to satisfy the discharge clause in the summertime of 2024. The Turkish switch window was the one one remaining open and a mortgage his sole likelihood of enjoying for the subsequent six months.
Osimhen kissed the badge and signed the contract to 2029, however I’d be truthfully shocked to see him nonetheless carrying that shirt this time subsequent 12 months. He had no cause to power his manner out of Napoli like that and is at all times trying on the horizon for greater and higher issues. You realize he needs the Premier League finally, it’s simply discovering a membership ready to pay up for him.
Victor Osimhen completes his switch to Galatasaray from Napoli
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I even noticed immediately by turning down the eye-watering sums from Al-Hilal. As if we may simply ignore that his contract with Galatasaray is value €21m per season together with a loyalty bonus and €5m in picture rights – so now we all know why De Laurentiis at all times makes certain Napoli personal these, if they’re value that a lot. Victor is hardly going to starve on these wages.
In the end, everybody got here out of this with their pockets lined and feeling blissful. For now. There’s a cause Napoli insisted on the penalty to make sure Osimhen can’t be bought to a different Italian membership inside two years. They know his ardour for a spot not often lasts for lengthy.