Arsenal sporting chief stunned by Galatasaray’s Victor Osimhen financial deal
Galatasaray vice-president Abdullah Kavukcu has claimed Arsenal’s sporting director Andrea Berta was left surprised by the financial scale of Victor Osimhen’s transfer to the Turkish champions.
Osimhen joined Galatasaray permanently from Napoli after the Istanbul side activated the striker’s €75 million release clause following a successful loan spell.
Galatasaray reveal scale of Osimhen investment
The Nigerian forward reportedly earns a guaranteed annual salary of €15 million, alongside loyalty bonuses and image-right payments as part of a four-year contract.
According to Kavukcu, the total package involved in securing Osimhen could rise to around €159 million over the duration of the agreement.
Speaking about the transfer, the Galatasaray chief insisted the club have no intention of cashing in on the striker despite interest from top European clubs.
“I wouldn’t sell him for 150 million euros, but it’s a matter for our president to decide,” Kavukcu told HT Spor.
“When you sell him, you also need to find a replacement player. That’s very important.”
Arsenal chief ‘surprised’ by figures involved
Kavukcu also revealed that Arsenal’s sporting director Berta was shocked by the financial commitment Galatasaray made to land the Super Eagles star.
“The Arsenal sporting director came here recently and even he was surprised that we were paying these amounts,” he said.
“Their budget is 800 million euros. We will have a budget of 500 million euros this year.”
Osimhen continues to justify investment
Beyond his performances on the pitch, Kavukcu explained that Osimhen has also become a major commercial asset for the Turkish giants.
“We also have three advertising deals with Victor. We receive 2 million euros from each of them for advertising shoots,” he added.
“The Osimhen transfer has added a lot to us; we have reaped the rewards of our ambition.”
Osimhen further strengthened his status at the club on Saturday after scoring twice in Galatasaray’s 4-2 victory over Antalyaspor, a result that secured the club’s fourth consecutive Turkish Süper Lig title.