Galatasaray Not Owing Victor Osimhen – Club President Insists

Fresh claims over unpaid wages at Galatasaray have sparked debate in Turkey, with Victor Osimhen thrust into the spotlight.

Reports in sections of the Turkish media alleged the Nigerian striker and some teammates had gone unpaid for up to three months. The noise intensified after Osimhen kept his celebrations low-key in recent weeks.

Eyebrows were raised when he reacted calmly after scoring a decisive goal against Juventus in the Champions League knockout stage. Some supporters quickly tied the muted response to the salary rumours.

Osimhen moved to shut that down, explaining he chose not to celebrate out of respect for Luciano Spalletti, his former coach at Napoli. The explanation did little to quieten the speculation.

Now club president Dursun Özbek, 76, has dismissed the reports outright and insisted every player has been paid in full.

“If you make things up, you’ll create crises like this. Galatasaray is an elite team made up of world-class footballers. You can’t make these players play with just words. If players don’t receive their salaries for two or three months, they won’t play,” he said.

“These kinds of reports are an insult to the professionalism of our players. There are bonus and incentive clauses, and we pay them all on time. Galatasaray has not defaulted on a single lira, not a single lira overdue.”

While the off-field speculations continue, the mood on the pitch is far brighter. Under Okan Buruk, Galatasaray sit four points clear of Fenerbahçe at the top of the Süper Lig.

They have also reached the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League for the first time in 12 years, setting up a heavyweight tie with Liverpool.

Domestically, a Turkish Cup clash with Alanyaspor is next, though Osimhen is expected to sit it out as the club manages his fitness ahead of the weekend derby against Beşiktaş.

So far this season, Osimhen has scored seven goals in Europe and ten in the league.