Fenerbahçe Executive Admits Every Club Would Want Osimhen, Rules Out Istanbul Crosstown Transfer

Fenerbahçe executive Mahmut Uslu has acknowledged that Victor Osimhen is one of the most coveted strikers in world football, while making clear that a move to Kadıköy remains firmly off the table. Speaking to HT Spor, Uslu was unequivocal in his admiration for the Super Eagles forward despite the fierce cross-Istanbul rivalry between the two clubs.

“Who wouldn’t want a player like Osimhen? But he won’t come to us. His destinations are clear,” Uslu stated, when pressed on which Galatasaray player he would most want to recruit. The comments represent a notable public concession from within Fenerbahçe’s camp regarding the 27-year-old Nigerian international’s standing in the game.

Uslu’s remarks arrive during a significant period of internal transition at Fenerbahçe, as presidential candidate Aziz Yıldırım is in the process of assembling his board of directors ahead of the club’s elections scheduled for next month. Rather than downplaying Osimhen’s threat, Uslu framed the Super Eagles talisman as the central challenge his side must overcome to reclaim the Süper Lig title.

“We will build a squad that can stop a team with Osimhen,” Uslu admitted openly. “If we make Kadıköy unbeatable, we will be champions.”

Osimhen completed another dominant campaign with Galatasaray this season, contributing to the club’s latest Süper Lig title triumph. Since making a permanent switch to the Lions last summer — when Galatasaray activated his €75 million release clause from Napoli, a figure that made him the most expensive signing in Turkish football history — the forward has accumulated 59 goals and 16 assists across just 74 appearances in all competitions. He was named African Footballer of the Year prior to that move, a distinction that underscored his continental and global profile.

Despite holding a contract with Galatasaray that runs until June 2029, Osimhen has been linked with a departure ahead of the summer transfer window, according to reports. Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, and Arsenal are among the elite European clubs said to be monitoring the former Napoli striker’s situation, though no formal offers have been publicly confirmed.

Uslu’s framing of Fenerbahçe’s summer recruitment strategy around neutralising Osimhen reflects the extent to which the Nigerian has reshaped competitive dynamics in the Süper Lig since his arrival. For a player originally attached to one of Europe’s most demanding leagues in Serie A, his adaptation to Turkish football has been seamless and statistically remarkable.

With the summer window approaching and speculation around Osimhen’s future intensifying, Galatasaray will be keen to retain a player who has become both the symbolic and functional cornerstone of their recent dominance. Whether the reported interest from Europe’s elite clubs translates into concrete bids remains to be seen, but Uslu’s comments confirm that even within Turkey, Osimhen’s rivals have no choice but to build their plans around him.