Galatasaray Plan Iconic No. 9 Jersey Offer to Keep Victor Osimhen
Galatasaray are set to offer Victor Osimhen the iconic No. 9 jersey as part of a carefully constructed plan to convince the Super Eagles striker to remain in Istanbul and reject interest from some of Europe’s biggest clubs ahead of the 2026/27 season.
The Nigerian forward has been wearing the No. 45 shirt at Galatasaray since his arrival from Napoli because Argentine forward Mauro Icardi has occupied the No. 9 jersey throughout their time together at the club. With Icardi expected to depart this summer after his contract expires at the end of June, the shirt is set to become available, and the Turkish champions intend to hand it directly to Osimhen as a statement of his primacy at the club.
The 27-year-old has emerged as the priority target for Manchester United manager Michael Carrick, who is seeking a proven goalscorer to lead the line as the club prepare to return to the UEFA Champions League. Arsenal, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Chelsea have also been credited with interest. Atletico Madrid are understood to have seen a verbal offer of €120 million rejected as Galatasaray stand firm over their prized asset. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is reportedly interested in the Nigerian international, with sporting director Andrea Berta said to have held talks with Galatasaray president Dursun Özbek.
Galatasaray, who signed Osimhen permanently from Napoli in a Turkish transfer-record deal worth €75 million last year, have placed a valuation of between €130 million and €150 million on the striker and have rebuffed significant interest from top European clubs. The club paid an initial €40 million upfront, with the remaining €35 million split into two instalments of €17.5 million each. Osimhen signed a four-year contract reportedly worth €15 million net per season in guaranteed wages, alongside bonuses and image-rights payments. The deal also included a 10 per cent sell-on clause giving Napoli a share of any future profit, as well as an anti-Italy clause that forces Galatasaray to pay double the total fee if the striker joins a Serie A club before 2027.
The No. 9 shirt is the second strand of a two-part retention strategy. The first — the possibility of handing Osimhen the captain’s armband following Icardi’s departure — was previously reported, with club officials viewing the Nigerian as the most influential figure in the dressing room. Turkish football pundit Ali Naci Kucuk had disclosed the captaincy plan, noting that Galatasaray officials believe such a leadership role may not be immediately available to Osimhen at clubs like United, Arsenal or Chelsea, where established dressing-room hierarchies already exist. Turkish journalist Yakup Çınar also stated: “Galatasaray management wants to make Osimhen captain next season. In the scenario where Icardi doesn’t stay, Osimhen will wear the number nine jersey next season”.
Together, the captaincy and the No. 9 shirt represent Galatasaray’s clearest effort yet to give Osimhen an emotional and symbolic investment in the club’s future beyond just his playing contract.
This season, Osimhen scored 15 league goals and provided five assists in 22 matches, contributing a further seven goals and three assists across 10 UEFA Champions League appearances before Galatasaray were eliminated by Liverpool in the round of 16. Across all competitions in the 2025/26 season, he scored 22 goals and provided seven assists in 33 appearances. His goals have been central to consecutive Süper Lig title wins during his time in Turkey. In his debut 2024/25 season, Osimhen netted 26 league goals to win the Süper Lig Golden Boot, becoming the first Nigerian ever to finish as the Turkish league’s top scorer.
With Osimhen under contract until 2029 and no release clause active in his deal, Galatasaray are under no immediate pressure to sell. Whether the promise of the No. 9 shirt and the captaincy will be enough to resist the pull of Europe’s elite remains the central question of the summer transfer window.