On May 4, 2023, Victor Osimhen scored a 52nd-minute equalizer in a 1-1 stalemate at Udinese, ensuring Napoli’s first league title in 33 years. He would score four goals in his next five matches, becoming the first African footballer to finish as top scorer in Serie A with 26 goals.

By Zach Lowy

And yet, 16 months after that momentous night in Udine, Osimhen has taken his talents to Istanbul, joining Süper Lig side Galatasaray on loan.

Napoli didn’t have long to celebrate their championship before losing manager Luciano Spalletti and defender Kim Min-jae, and they suffered the consequences with an abysmal title defense. They went through three different managers, conceded 48 goals – the second-most in Serie A’s top-half – and missed out on Europe for the first time in 15 years after finishing 10th. Osimhen began 2023/24 with a brace vs. Frosinone and a goal vs. Sassuolo, but he was nullified in their 0-0 draw at Bologna on September 24, failing to convert from the penalty spot in the 72nd minute. As Napoli came to find out, it would cost them a lot more than two points.

In the ensuing days, Napoli’s TikTok account posted videos that likened Osimhen’s head to a coconut and mocked his penalty miss, drawing the ire of his agent, Roberto Calenda, who stated: “A video mocking Victor was made public and then belatedly deleted. A serious fact that causes very serious damage to the player and adds to the treatment that the boy is suffering in the last period between media trials and fake news. We reserve the right to take legal action and any useful initiative to protect Victor.”

Having scored five goals by the end of September, Osimhen found the back of the net on just three occasions for Napoli in the following three months. He was sent off in a 2-0 defeat at Roma on December 23, with Lorenzo Pellegrini scoring in the 76th minute and Romelu Lukaku doubling the lead at the last second. Little did Osimhen know it, but Lukaku would soon be replacing him as Napoli’s attacking talisman.

That same day, Napoli announced that they had extended Osimhen’s contract by an additional year, tying him to the club through 2026, doubling his salary to €10 million, and setting his release clause at €130 million. “Osimhen’s contract was not signed for footballing reasons with a view to him playing for Napoli long-term,” stated Napoli fan and In The Shadow Of Vesuvio podcaster Henry Bell. “Instead, it was to preserve his market value and command a large transfer fee when he wanted to leave in the summer.”

“All of us fans have been going through mixed emotions. We loved Victor when he played for Napoli and there would be no third Scudetto without him, but since the Serie A trophy was lifted, there has been a gradual cooling of the love. Seeing him publicly court a transfer was a tough pill to swallow for such a proud fanbase. I think he’ll learn a lot of lessons and look back and consider his actions to be naive and insensitive.”

“It’s hard to know where to point the finger since there are various factors at play: Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis’ stubbornness, Calenda’s arrogance, that awful TikTok video, Osimhen’s desire to play in England and the moving of the financial goalposts in the global game. When Osimhen finally leaves permanently, it will be interesting to see how his legacy in Napoli will be traced. Will there be the murals, figurines and even food dishes named after him like there still are for legends of the club? I doubt it.”

The newly minted African Player of the Year left for the Ivory Coast and spearheaded Nigeria’s attack in their run to the AFCON Final, where they relinquished an early advantage and lost 2-1 to the hosts. Osimhen returned to Italy and scored nine goals in his next 14 matches, finishing third in the Capocannoniere race with 15 goals. It seemed his time at Napoli had finally run its course – it was surely only a matter of time before Osimhen would be playing for one of the biggest clubs in Europe.

PSG emerged as an early contender, but with De Laurentiis refusing to budge on the €130m clause, Les Parisiens took their business elsewhere. Whilst far less proven strikers like Julián Álvarez (€75m), Dominic Solanke (€64.3m) and Joshua Zirkzee (€42.5m) earned big-money transfers, Osimhen stayed put. As a result, Napoli’s business remained at a standstill – apart from defensive duo Alessandro Buongiorno and Rafa Marín (€47m) and Leonardo Spinazzola (€0), Napoli failed to sign any new players before August 21. Soon, only one European club was in the equation: Chelsea.

Having already spent north of €200 million, the best Chelsea could offer was a loan with an option/obligation to buy. Keen to reunite Lukaku with Antonio Conte – with whom he scored 47 goals in 72 appearances and led Inter to a Scudetto – Napoli were not entirely averse, but Osimhen’s wages proved a stumbling block. Chelsea offered €4m plus €4m in performance-related bonuses, well below Osimhen’s €10m salary. Despite leaning on African legends like John Obi Mikel and Didier Drogba to convince him to lower his demands, Chelsea’s charm offensive proved fruitless.

As Napoli’s business came to life in the final days of August with David Neres, Scott McTominay, Billy Gilmour and Lukaku arriving, Osimhen found himself running out of options. When Saudi club Al-Ahli tabled a late bid, Calenda quickly threw cold water on the rumors: “Victor was elected African Footballer of the Year, eighth at the Ballon d’Or, he still has so much to do in Europe. He is not a package to be shipped far away to make room for new prophets.”

The summer transfer window slammed shut, and Osimhen looked set to spend the next four months in Napoli’s reserves. Galatasaray threw him a lifeline, with Osimhen extending his contract at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona until 2027 and joining on loan until the end of the campaign. Napoli lowered his release clause to €75 million and inserted a January break clause which allows Osimhen to leave midway through the campaign if a suitable permanent offer arrives.

It remains to be seen whether or not he will spend the entire campaign in Türkiye or leave in January, but one thing’s for sure: despite a glamorous four-year spell that featured 76 goals and 18 assists in 133 appearances and one unforgettable championship, Victor Osimhen leaves many Napoli supporters with a bitter taste in their mouths.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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