Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk has acknowledged that the arrival of Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen has placed a heavy strain on the club’s finances, admitting the record-breaking deal has affected their transfer plans and overall budget.
Osimhen completed his switch from Napoli in the summer after months of negotiations, and the move instantly became the most expensive in Turkish football.
No club in the country had ever gone beyond the thirty-million-euro mark for a single player, yet Galatasaray invested far more to convince Napoli and the player. With his salary included, the total cost of the transfer is expected to reach around one hundred and fifty million euros.
The ambition behind the deal was clear. Galatasaray saw Osimhen as a marquee signing who could lift the team at home and in Europe. However, the financial commitment has been enormous for a club operating in a league that does not generate the same revenue as Europe’s biggest competitions.
The pressure has grown in recent weeks, with Galatasaray suffering a dip in form. The champions have lost three of their last six matches in all competitions, including a Champions League defeat away to Monaco on Tuesday.
Injuries have added to the challenge, with Wilfried Singo, Mario Lemina and Kaan Ayhan all unavailable. The problems have been severe enough that Buruk has had to rely on academy players to fill the squad.
Asked after the Monaco match about plans for reinforcements, Buruk admitted that the Osimhen deal has left little room to manoeuvre in the market, although he still believes the club will find solutions in January.
“There are no defenders left on the reserve bench. If someone got injured, there would be no solution,” Buruk said, per Sport News.
“We are going through a difficult period, and we have not been able to get the desired results from some players. There are salary budget restrictions from both the TFF and UEFA for transfers. We bought Osimhen for 75 million euros, and his salary is also a huge burden.”
He added that the club did not anticipate the situation would become so challenging. “We brought in important players like Sane, İlkay, and Singo, but no one could have foreseen this scenario. After the November break, it became difficult to fill the reserve bench. The responsibility is mine. We will make a correct plan in the winter transfer window. If we continue in the Champions League, we will prepare accordingly,” he said.
Despite the financial weight of the transfer, Galatasaray remain confident in Osimhen’s ability to influence their season. Injuries have slowed his start, but he has shown flashes of the quality that made him one of Europe’s most sought-after forwards.
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