Victor Osimhen to Wear Unusual No. 45 Jersey at Galatasaray During Loan Spell
September 4, 2024
By Okafor Joseph Afam
The squad number that Victor Osimhen will wear during his loan stint at Galatasaray has seemingly been revealed.
Throughout the summer transfer window, reports persisted that the Nigerian international could sign for Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, or Al-Ahli. Instead, a move failed to materialize to any of those three clubs, either due to the wages on offer, the size of the transfer fee, or a club choosing to go in a different direction.
This situation left the 25-year-old at risk of being left in limbo at Napoli, with head coach Antonio Conte reiterating that he would not be reintegrated back into the first-team squad. However, on Monday, it emerged that Galatasaray had made an unexpected attempt to negotiate a season-long loan deal for the exiled striker.
Discussions advanced at such a pace that terms were put in place for Osimhen to make the switch to the Super Lig champions, who will not possess the option to buy him outright. Osimhen has spent the last day or so in Turkey, with Galatasaray officially showcasing his arrival and time in the country on their social media pages.
While an official announcement is yet to come, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has reported that Osimhen has already signed his contract, and documents are currently being reviewed. With confirmation likely to follow later on Wednesday, Romano has also reported on the shirt number that Osimhen will wear during his time at Galatasaray.
Osimhen was not short of traditional options when it came to squad numbers he could have chosen. Most notably, the number seven shirt is currently vacant. Nevertheless, Romano has revealed that Osimhen has instead decided to don the number 45 for the 2024-25 campaign.
During the 2018-19 season, Osimhen wore that number with Belgian side Charleroi, where he netted 20 goals from 36 appearances in all competitions. According to Nigerian journalist Buchi Laba, Osimhen chose this number because he believes it brings him good luck.
