Victor Osimhen departed Diego Armando Maradona Stadium on loan, but former Napoli midfielder Marek Hamsik feels bad for the Nigerian international and suggests that the move is not solely about football.
On transfer deadline day, Osimhen was rejected by Chelsea and Saudi heavyweights Al Ahli and signed with Galatasaray on a season-long loan.
The 25-year-old is rumoured to have inked a contract extension with Napoli that runs through 2027, although the loan arrangement does not include a buyout option.
The 25-year-old was frozen out of Napoli’s squad after his failed transfer, with the Galatasaray move offering him a route back to first-team football.
In place of Osimhen, Napoli secured the services of Romelo Lukaku, and Hamsik believes the club’s transfer dealings have been convincing.
“I’m sorry Osimhen left, but it’s probably not entirely related to football,” he said.
“I am not involved in this, and Napoli signed a valuable replacement. Lukaku is a top striker and can easily score 20 goals.”
Osimhen signed a contract extension with the Italian club last December through 2026 with a reported release clause of €130m.
Osimhen was the subject of considerable transfer interest from around Europe this summer, but Chelsea’s and Paris Saint-Germain’s attempts to sign the forward fell through.
The player was also heavily linked with Al Ahli, with sources telling ESPN that Napoli had accepted an €80m offer from the Saudi Pro League side, but Osimhen expressed doubts about leaving European football.
Napoli also requested an additional €5m, which infuriated the Saudi Arabians.
