Galatasaray Coach Criticises Victor Osimhen’s Transfer Fee After Loss to Monaco
- Galatasaray coach Okan Buruk has criticised Victor Osimhen’s transfer fee after the team lost to AS Monaco
- The team's lack of squad depth was evident in the match, and Osimhen’s huge transfer fee played a bit part
- Folarin Balogun scored the only goal for Monaco to condemn Galatasaray to their third Champions League loss
Galatasaray head coach launched an unexpected criticism of Victor Osimhen’s transfer fee after the UEFA Champions League loss to AS Monaco.
Folarin Balogun’s goal was the difference for the French Ligue 1 side to beat the Turkish Super League champions on matchday six of the Champions League.
Source: Getty Images
It was Galatasaray's third loss this season in the Champions League and their first with striker Victor Osimhen in the team, having lost the previous game he had played.
The Lions’ squad depth was tested during the match, and it proved that despite having top stars, the team lacks adequate backups when they are unavailable.
Buruk criticises Osimhen's transfer fee
Head coach Okan Buruk was disappointed at not having quality backup for some of his players, and went on a passionate rant against the club.
However, his rant about his squad depth appeared to be an attack on striker Victor Osimhen, whom the club broke the bank and every record to sign.
The manager admitted that the team's injury situation is unfortunate, but still went on a rant about Victor Osimhen’s transfer fee.
“You need a budget for transfers. You have a salary budget not only for the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) but also for UEFA,” he said as quoted by Halk TV.
“This year, we transferred Osimhen for 75 million euros. When you add the money he received, it was a significant expense in terms of the budget.”
Fans condemned the comment, describing it as one that could cause issues in the squad, particularly with the Super Eagles forward.
Galatasaray signed Osimhen for €75 million and pays him €21 million net per season. If he sees out his four-year contract, he would have cost the club €159 million excluding taxes.
Source: Getty Images
His amortised value per year is €39.75 million, which is significant for a club of Galatasaray's final strength, unless they have a deep run in the Champions League.
Turkish football pundit Omer Urundul added fuel to the fire by outrightly calling Osimhen disappointing during the loss to AS Monaco.
“The biggest disappointment was Osimhen's poor performance despite being very well marketed,” he said.
Buruk will have to learn how to play without Osimhen for some weeks, with the striker heading to the Africa Cup of Nations after the match against Antalyaspor.
How much Galatasaray still owes Napoli
Legit.ng previously reported how much Galatasaray still owes Napoli for Victor Osimhen’s transfer after completing another part of the instalments in November.
Galatasaray and Napoli agreed on a €40 million fixed payment, with the remaining fee paid over two instalments and completed in 2026.
Source: Legit.ng
