Former Galatasaray Vice-President Albayrak: Matching Victor Osimhen’s €75 Million Transfer Fee ‘Very Difficult’ for Club

Former Galatasaray vice-president Abdurrahim Albayrak has admitted that the Turkish giants face a formidable financial challenge in executing another transfer of the magnitude that brought Victor Osimhen to Istanbul last year.

Osimhen, a former African Footballer of the Year and Nigeria international, completed his move to Galatasaray in July 2025 after the club triggered his €75 million release clause — equivalent to approximately N119 billion — to prise him away from Napoli. The deal, which saw Galatasaray fend off serious competition from Saudi Pro League sides and leading European clubs, remains the most expensive transfer in Turkish football history.

The striker’s impact was immediate and decisive. In the 2024-25 season, Osimhen played a central role in guiding the Istanbul club to a domestic double, justifying the club’s record investment and generating widespread international attention.

Reflecting on the landmark deal in a recent interview with NTV, as reported by Ajansspor, Albayrak was candid about the constraints now facing the club. “We signed Osimhen and paid 75 million euros. The entire world press was buzzing about it,” he said. “He contributed a lot to Galatasaray. Paying 75 million euros a second or third time is very difficult right now.”

Albayrak also acknowledged the broader competitive gap between Galatasaray and the elite clubs they aspire to challenge at European level. “It is in the hearts of all Galatasaray fans, but to be realistic, the teams we are facing are very strong,” he stated. “Galatasaray will certainly make good transfers. The dream of every Galatasaray management is to win the Champions League.”

The former executive also expressed hope for future European glory, adding: “God willing, just as He granted us the UEFA Cup, He will also grant us the Champions League” — a reference to the club’s 2000 UEFA Cup triumph, their most significant continental achievement to date.

Despite holding three years remaining on his Galatasaray contract, Osimhen is reportedly the subject of intense scrutiny from several of Europe’s wealthiest clubs. Barcelona, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, and Arsenal are all said to be monitoring the striker’s situation ahead of a potential summer transfer window move, according to reports.

The speculation underscores the paradox facing Galatasaray: having invested a record sum to secure one of Africa’s most coveted strikers, the club now faces the prospect of either matching or resisting bids that could far exceed their original outlay. With Osimhen at 27 years of age and entering what many consider his peak years, his market value is unlikely to diminish in the near term.

For Turkish football more broadly, Osimhen’s arrival represented a statement of intent, demonstrating that the Süper Lig could compete financially for marquee signings. Whether Galatasaray can sustain that ambition remains, by their own former leadership’s admission, an open question.