Victor Osimhen: Ex-manager Explains How Mourinho’s Fenerbahce Missed Out on Striker Last Summer

• Victor Osimhen is nearing the end of his time in Turkey after Al-Hilal submitted an official offer to Napoli
• Galatasaray made efforts to keep Osimhen, but it seems that they have eventually lost the race to Al-Hilal
• A former club manager has explained how Fenerbahce missed out on signing the striker last summer

Victor Osimhen has played his last match for Galatasaray unless they sign him permanently, and a former manager has disclosed how Fenerbahce missed out on him last summer.

Osimhen was determined to leave Napoli last summer. He accepted the offer to join Galatasaray on a season-long loan after multiple attempts to leave permanently failed.

He was the difference between Galatasaray and Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahce in the just-concluded season, helping Okan Buruk’s side to a league and cup double.

He stepped up into the lone striker role after Mauro Icardi suffered a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament injury in November and Michy Batshuayi was sold in January.

As noted by Transfermarkt, he scored 37 goals and provided a further eight assists in 41 games in all competitions for the Turkish Super League champions.

How Fenerbahce missed out on Osimhen

Jose Mourinho has had great African strikers, including Didier Drogba and Samuel Eto'o, and a partnership between the Special One and Osimhen is one fans would have loved to see.

Napoli froze Osimhen out of the squad after the transfer window deadline shut last summer, but Galatasaray took advantage of the open window in Turkey to sign him on loan.

Fenerbahce’s former manager and son of former president Metin Sen claimed the club's vice president, Acun Ilicali, was responsible for Mourinho not having a striker tailor-made for him.

“I have been following Osimhen since his career at Wolfsburg for years. I thought he would be a good player when he went to Napoli,” he said as quoted by GS Gazete.

“After learning that Osimhen's transfer to Arabia did not happen, I called Acun Ilıcalı. I told him, 'This is a great opportunity. The transfer period has closed in most countries in the world. Please do not miss out on such a player.'

“I told him 2-3 times. Did the news go to Fenerbahçe President Ali Koç or not? I don't know about that. The rest are tabloid stuff.”

Ilicali had been confronted in the Turkish media for letting such an opportunity slip, but he denied having any knowledge of the deal happening at a recent event.

“I have said it 3 times before. I am saying it once more. Osimhen was not offered to us. We did not reject him. There was no meeting. Why are lies being made up?” he said.

Fener made a few attempts to unsettle their rivals and throw themselves into the race to sign the player permanently, but the Nigerian declared that he would not play for another Turkish club.

Al-Hilal give Osimhen deadline

Legit.ng reported that Al-Hilal gave Osimhen a deadline of Friday, June 6, to accept their offer after they submitted an official proposal worth €70 million to Napoli.

There were reports in the media that the Super Eagles forward rejected their first offer, but the club are in a hurry to sign him for the 2025 FIFA Club Championship.

Source: Legit.ng