Galatasaray manager, Okan Buruk, has explained why he left out Super Eagles striker, Victor Osimhen, from the squad for Saturday’s 3-0 victory over Gaziantep.
Osimhen, who netted 37 goals and provided eight assists in 41 appearances during his loan spell with the Istanbul giants last season, was not listed for the season opener.
Galatasaray released their official squad list late on Thursday, with the glaring absence of Nigerian forward Victor Osimhen among the names for the opening fixture.
Osimhen initially arrived from Napoli on loan in 2024 before making his move permanent for a club-record €75 million fee, capping off a phenomenal debut campaign in Istanbul.
The prolific striker’s exploits not only shattered records but also earned him global recognition, cementing his status as the most expensive Nigerian player of all time.
While attracting offers from top sides in Europe and the Middle East, he chose to pledge his future to the Turkish giants, a statement of both loyalty and the club’s lofty ambitions.
He was not the only big name missing from the 35-man roster submitted to the Turkish Football Federation, as Mauro Icardi, Álvaro Morata, Victor Nelsson, and Carlos Cuesta were also left out.
Speaking to CNN Türk, Buruk revealed that the forward had only trained for about five or six days and featuring in the match could have posed a risk.
“Playing him under those conditions might have been risky,” Buruk said. “We spoke about it and he agreed it would be better to sit this one out and aim for minutes in the next game.”