Osimhen decides future amid Chelsea, Man U links

Victor Osimhen is determined to see the season through with Galatasaray – but hopes to put himself in the shop window for Premier League clubs with his performances across the campaign. The 25-year-old Nigeria striker has hit the ground running in Turkey after completing a season-long loan move from Napoli to Galatasaray in September, scoring nine goals in his opening 11 games in all competitions. There had been intense speculation surrounding Osimhen’s future throughout much of the summer transfer window, with Chelsea, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain all credited with an interest in the forward. Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Ahli were also heavily linked but would go on to sign Ivan Toney instead after Napoli increased their asking price to strike an agreement for Osimhen. Just a month on from Osimhen’s arrival in Istanbul, Napoli confirmed that the attacker could leave the Serie A club on a permanent basis in January due to a break clause in his Galatasaray loan deal. But transfer expert Gianluca Di Marzio claimed Osimhen has no interest in departing Galatasaray midway through the season and does not even want to speak with other teams at this stage. ‘First of all, Osimhen wants to finish the season at Galatasaray. He is very happy to be there and doesn’t want to talk about other clubs,’ Di Marzio told bettingexpert.com. The Nigeria striker has scored nine goals in 11 matches for Galatasaray (Picture: Getty)‘He wants to play and win there. ‘I will leave a small percentage for Galatasaray to try to buy him and I will discuss with Napoli to find an agreement.” ‘It would probably be less than the release clause, but Galatasaray are so happy with him that they plan to find a solution with Napoli.’ But while he remains focused on Galatasaray, it appears Osimhen wants to use the coming months to attract potential interest from the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United. ‘I know that a club in Saudi Arabia wants him. I don’t know the name of the club, but they are prepared to buy him for Napoli and get him back at the end of the season,’ Di Marzio added. ‘The problem is that they want to sign him now and Osimhen doesn’t want to sign now, he wants to wait. ‘He wants to use this season as an opportunity to let the Premier League clubs decide whether to make an offer to Napoli.’ According to Di Marzio, PSG are still in the running for Osimhen’s signature after failing with a bid for the Nigerian in the summer. ‘PSG are always an opportunity, and they’re the only club who have made an offer for him this summer,’ he continued. ‘They offered €220m for Osimhen and Kvaratskhelia, so maybe they’ll try to get both again. ‘But he wants to finish the season at Galatasaray, even if the Saudi Arabian club want to sign him now.’ Osimhen, who has quickly won over Galatasaray fans with his barnstorming start in Turkish football, appeared to rule out a January exit following the side’s Europa League win over Tottenham. ‘I’m here as a Galatasaray player, I’m happy here,’ Osimhen told reporters after netting twice in a 3-2 victory last month. ‘Since I came the Galatasaray fans, the club, I saw how big a family this club is. The way they have treated me and my family in a wonderful manner. It’s important to be able to give them my all on the pitch. ‘I’ve seen a lot of the speculation linking me out of the club in January, I can state through me now I’m going to be here until the end of the season. ‘And then I don’t know what Galatasaray and Napoli are negotiating but of course, if they come to me to speak about one or two things regarding this club I would consider it, of course. ‘But now I’m here, I’m focused on this team, I’m focused on the objective the club has set and I want to give my all and make sure that we win the league and if we can go further in the Europa League we can win it also because we have a good squad. ‘So far I’m enjoying my stay in Istanbul, it’s an amazing club I’m in. I’ll be there, for me it’s important I’m enjoying my football right now, I’m doing a lot for myself and my family and, of course, for this club. I’m happy to be here.’

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Jackson extends Chelsea contract until 2033

Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson has penned a two-year contract extension that ties him to the club until 2033 at Stamford Bridge, the Premier League side announced on Friday. The 23-year-old joined Chelsea from Villareal in June 2023 on an eight-year deal and went on to score 17 goals in all competitions last season. He has begun this campaign with two goals in four appearances. “I am feeling very good and am very happy to sign a new contract and stay at the club,” Jackson said in a statement. “It feels great the club has confidence in me. I am working very hard. I am very happy to extend my contract and stay here for many years.”

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Mikel admits role in Osimhen’s transfer

John Obi Mikel has revealed he played a key role in trying to get Victor Osimhen to Chelsea. The Napoli and Nigeria striker was heavily linked to the goal-shy Premier League side for much of the summer transfer window, but ended up joining Galatasaray on loan. Given Osimhen’s role in ending Napoli’s 33-year wait for a league title as Serie A’s top scorer in the 2022/23 campaign, it seemed rather remarkable that he landed in the Turkish Super Lig which is ranked as the tenth best in Europe. But as former Blue Mikel revealed, it wasn’t for the want of trying from either Chelsea or Osimhen. “I mean, a lot happened, and I think it’s an open secret that I was involved in the deal,” he said on his Obi One Podcast. “I was involved in trying to make sure that I get Victor to the club. A lot happened, it was very interesting, because I think I hear a lot of people saying this and saying that about Victor and and how greedy he is and stuff like that. “I just want to categorically say it here that I know the kid since from the very first day he joined the national team, my relationship with him has been very, very good. And since then we’ve kept in contact and been friends. “I know what he’s capable of, and I just want to say that is absolutely not true. Victor is not a greedy boy. He only wants to get what he deserves. And that’s not a problem. “He wasn’t asking for all that bulls*** [£500,000 per-week]. I know what happened. I was there, in the midst of everything. So I can tell everybody that that is definitely not true. “He’s not a greedy boy, he just wants to play football and get what he deserves, a player knowing what he’s worth and asking to be paid what he’s worth is not a problem.” Osimhen was heavily-linked to both Chelsea and Saudi Pro League side Al Ahli during the final days of the transfer window, and talkSPORT understands that he rejected the latter approach. Meanwhile, personal terms are understood to have held things up for the Blues, something Mikel alluded to while suggesting that the deal may not be over. “We were very very close to getting this deal done but there were slight issues and problems that we couldn’t get over the line,” Mikel said. “Of course the medical couldn’t be done even if the deal got done. “I know exactly where we stopped and exactly where we are with the deal, if eventually in January we have to pick it up again I know exactly where we are and where we have to start from. “I was the guy right in the middle of everything and there were a couple of days where I didn’t sleep.”

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