Napoli outcast Victor Osimhen has agreed a season-long loan with Galatasaray without an option to buy, the Turkish champions and the Italian club confirmed Wednesday.
The 25-year old Nigerian forward, who was welcomed by a crowd of fans on his arrival at Istanbul airport early this week, will be paid a salary of six million euros ($6.6m), the Turkish club said.
Napoli confirmed the loan until June 30, 2025, specifying that they had reached an agreement with Osimhen for a possible renewal of his contract until June 2027.
Osimhen had been agitating for a move away from Napoli after the club descended into chaos almost immediately after claiming their third league crown in 2023.
The team he fired to Serie A glory with 26 league goals left him off their squad list for this season, his place and No 9 shirt taken by new arrival Romelu Lukaku.
Napoli went through three coaches last season and finished 10th in Serie A but Osimhen still managed to score 17 times in 32 appearances in all competitions.
Napoli looked set to cash in this summer after inserting a 130m euro ($144.3m) release clause when renewing Osimhen's contract in December.
That deal, which gave Osimhen a reported net salary of 11m euros, expires at the end of June 2026.
But neither Chelsea nor Paris Saint-Germain, nor Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Alhi, came close to both meeting Napoli's valuation and satisfying Osimhen's wage requirements.
Meanwhile, Napoli have been building the team for new coach Antonio Conte, bringing in seven players to revamp a stale squad.
The Nigerian international will join former Napoli player, Belgian Dries Mertens, in Istanbul and will fill in for injured Argentinian Mauro Icardi.
Eliminated in the Champions League play-offs, Galatasaray will play in the Europa League this season, coming up against Tottenham Hotspur, Ajax and AZ Alkmaar.
