Sports
BREAKING: Osimhen moves to Turkey, to lace boots with Galatasaray
After failed deals with Chelsea of London and Al Ahli of Saudi Arabia, Victor Osimhen, Nigerian international and current reigning African Footballer of the Year (AFOTY), has finally landed a deal with Turkish side,
Galatasaray, as the last ditch effort to avoid being redundant in his current team – Napoli, in the Italian league.
Reports say the striker, whose career became threatened as a result of the imbroglio surrounding his transfer, which would leave him frozen from the Napoli squad till January, without a successful move, had been handed a season-long loan before the Turkish transfer window closes.
Renowned football journalist Gianluca Di Marzio reported that negotiations between the parties are underway, with all sides working to finalise the deal, a development, confirmed by transfer specialist, Fabrizio Romano, who said on Monday, that the deal did not include an option to sign the Nigerian permanently after the loan deal.
“Galatasaray have agreed to cover €9/10m as salary of Victor Osimhen until the end of the season. The loan deal agreed with Napoli does NOT include any buy option/obligation clause.
“One year loan, salary covered as Napoli have accepted these conditions. Gala’s delegation to meet with Osimhen in Napoli in next hours for final green light to the move,” Romano tweeted.
With the top five European leagues having shut their transfer windows, Turkey remains one of the few options for clubs looking to finalize late deals, and Galatasaray appears keen to seize this opportunity.
The urgency for Galatasaray to secure a striker has intensified following Mauro Icardi’s injury after the Argentine forward, who has been crucial to the team’s attack, was sidelined, leaving a significant gap in their frontline, resulting in the Turkish champions turning their attention to Osimhen, who they see as a viable option to bolster their attack.
The club is even considering a tactical shift to a 3-5-2 formation, which would allow both Icardi and Osimhen to play together once the former returns to fitness, reports say, adding that Osimhen’s potential move to Galatasaray would be a major coup for the Turkish side, as the 24-year-old striker has been one of the most sought-after talents in European football, attracting interest from several top clubs.
His powerful playstyle, clinical finishing, and ability to lead the line have made him a target for many, but Napoli’s high asking price has so far deterred permanent moves.
A loan deal, however, could provide a temporary solution for all parties involved.
Interestingly, Saudi Arabian clubs, who have been active in the transfer market, seem to have taken a backseat in this pursuit.
Clubs like Al-Ahli, who had previously shown interest in Osimhen, have now withdrawn their bid, citing that they are already well-stocked in the striker department.
This has left Galatasaray as one of the few remaining clubs with a realistic chance of landing the Nigerian forward.
With the Turkish transfer window set to close on September 13, Galatasaray are racing against time to secure Osimhen’s signature.
The club’s management is reportedly working around the clock to finalize the deal, aware that adding a player of Osimhen’s caliber could significantly enhance their domestic and European campaigns.
If the deal goes through, it would not only reinforce Galatasaray’s attacking options but also send a strong message to their rivals in Turkey and beyond.
The Victor Osimhen transfer saga has been one of the most talked-about stories of the summer. From being linked with moves to top clubs in England, Spain, and Saudi Arabia, to now potentially joining Galatasaray, the striker’s future has been the subject of intense speculation.
As the clock ticks down to the end of the Turkish transfer window, all eyes will be on Istanbul to see if Galatasaray can pull off what would be one of the biggest signings of the summer.
Former Liverpool forward, Mohamed Salah, has been banned from driving for six months after failing to identify the person driving his Rolls-Royce when it was caught speeding in Cheshire, United Kingdom.
Court documents reported by the BBC showed that the vehicle was recorded travelling at 36mph in a 30mph zone in Wilmslow on March 27.
Salah, 34, failed to respond to a notice issued by Cheshire Constabulary requiring information about the driver and did not enter a plea.
He was prosecuted at Warrington Combined Court under the Single Justice Procedure, which allows magistrates to deal with certain cases without a public hearing.
A court spokeswoman said Salah was convicted of failing to provide information relating to the identification of the driver of the vehicle.
He was disqualified from driving for six months and ordered to pay £1,044.
The incident occurred three days after Salah announced his departure from Liverpool at the end of the 2025/26 season, bringing his nine-year spell at the club to an end.
Liverpool had described Salah as oneof the greatest players in the club’s history when it announced his departure on March 24.
Salah scored 257 goals in 442 appearances for Liverpool before leaving the club for Turkish side Trabzonspor after the 2025/26 season.
He currently plays for Trabzonspor in Turkey.
Manchester City moved three points clear at the top of the Premier League after surviving a thrilling Sunderland fightback to claim a 5-3 victory at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.
City capitalised on Arsenal’s shock 3-0 defeat to Brighton but were pushed all the way by a Sunderland side that refused to surrender despite falling behind three times.
Enzo Fernandez opened the scoring with his first Premier League goal since his £125 million ($167 million) move from Chelsea, curling a free-kick that caught Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs off guard at his near post.
Sunderland, who had defeated AZ Alkmaar in Europe during the week, showed no signs of fatigue as Brian Brobbey levelled after converting Enzo Le Fee’s pass.
Rayan Cherki restored City’s lead with a composed finish, only for Brobbey to respond again four minutes later after a slick Sunderland move.
Antoine Semenyo put the hosts back in front before half-time and appeared to have settled the contest when he struck again with an accurate left-footed finish shortly before the hour mark.
But Brobbey completed his hat-trick when Nilson Angulo raced onto a ball over the top and beat Gianluigi Donnarumma before setting up the Sunderland striker.
City were forced to withstand further pressure, with Donnarumma involved in a couple of nervous moments and Ruben Dias clearing the ball off his own goal line.
Erling Haaland eventually ended Sunderland’s hopes of a comeback by adding City’s fifth goal, while also maintaining his record of scoring against every Premier League opponent he has faced.
The victory extended Enzo Maresca’s perfect start as he takes on the daunting task of succeeding Pep Guardiola as Manchester City manager.
Liverpool Edge Bournemouth
Liverpool also secured an important victory, beating Bournemouth 1-0 on Andoni Iraola’s return to the south coast.
Iraola received a warm reception from Bournemouth supporters after previously guiding the Cherries into Europe for the first time in the club’s history.
His success eventually earned him the Liverpool job, but his start at Anfield has been inconsistent, making Saturday’s victory particularly valuable before the three-week international break.
Liverpool were far from their best but found the decisive breakthrough when Cody Gakpo’s cross fell perfectly for Alexander Isak, who fired home his fourth goal of the season.
The result lifted Liverpool to sixth place, just one point behind third-placed Brighton.
Leeds Held by Palace
Leeds missed the opportunity to climb into third place after being held to a goalless draw by Crystal Palace at home.
Palace thought they had taken the lead in the second half when Tyrick Mitchell found the net, but the goal was ruled out for offside during the build-up.
United Under Pressure
Manchester United will look to ease the pressure on manager Michael Carrick when they travel to bottom-of-the-table Fulham.
United have collected just four points from their opening four league matches and were knocked out of the League Cup by Brighton in midweek after surrendering a 2-0 lead at home for the first time in 50 years.
Defending champions Rangers, Inter Lagos and Abia Warriors recorded away wins on Matchday Four of the Nigeria Premier Football League, NPFL, on Sunday.
Inter Lagos stunned nine-time champions Enyimba 1-0 in Aba.
Ezekiel Moses scored the decisive goal for the visitors in the 18th minute.
Rangers beat Kun Khalifat FC 4-2 in the Oriental derby at the Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri.
Preye Seikorowei, Ayuba Umar, Temitope Folarin and Waheed Adebayo scored for Rangers, while Chimobi Igwilo netted twice for Kun Khalifat.
Abia Warriors recorded their first win of the season, edging past Sporting Lagos 2-0 at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan.
Ikoi Etta and Emeka Obioma got the goals for Imama Amapakabo’s side.
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