It’s no longer news that the summer transfer saga of Victor Osimhen took a huge unexpected twist, and it has drawn sharp criticism from veteran Italian agent Antonio Caliendo.
The Nigerian striker, who had been heavily linked with a lucrative transfer to one of Europe’s football powerhouses, instead found himself making a surprising move to Turkish club Galatasaray on a season-long loan, Footballrover reports.
Poor management for Osimhen’s failed transfer
Caliendo, who has seen countless transfers unfold during his storied career, wasn’t shy in sharing his disappointment with how Osimhen’s transfer was managed.
During an interview on the Radio Goal show, he pinpointed the missteps that cost the Super Eagles star the chance to secure a move to a top European club.
“The first time I saw him play in Napoli, I told my friend that he would have come to cost $200 million,” Caliendo said.
— Victor Osimhen #FANVO (@victoroosimhen) September 26, 2024
But what happened instead, according to Caliendo, who was quoted by Area Napoli, was a poorly executed operation.
“His transfer operation was disappointing, going into the market as if he were a discarded shoe. Instead, he should have been the leading man of the world transfer market, but he was not managed in the right way.”
The 80-year-old agent didn’t hold back from pointing fingers. According to Caliendo, both Osimhen’s representatives and Napoli’s management were at fault.
They had apparently reassured club president Aurelio De Laurentiis of a multimillion-dollar sale, unfortunately, the whole deal collapsed.
In the end, Osimhen switched to Galatasaray—a far cry from the rumoured moves to giants like Chelsea or PSG.
Osimhen’s frustration and strong start at Galatasaray
Caliendo also linked the mishandling of Osimhen’s future to the frustration the striker expressed in an online rant about former Nigerian star Finidi George in June.
While the video came off as out-of-character for Osimhen, Caliendo implied it was a sign of deeper dissatisfaction with how things were playing out behind the scenes.
— Victor Osimhen #FANVO (@victoroosimhen) September 26, 2024
Though the big-money move didn’t materialise, Osimhen has wasted no time making an impact in Turkey.
The former Lille star has already racked up four assists in his first three games, sparking Galatasaray’s interest in keeping him beyond his loan spell.
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