Victor Osimhen has been at the centre of fresh controversy in Turkey after reports claimed he and some of his teammates were owed salaries at Galatasaray, Soccernet.ng reports.
Over the past week, several Turkish media outlets suggested that the Nigerian striker had not been paid for two or even three months. The rumours grew louder after Osimhen did not celebrate some of his recent goals.
One moment that caught attention was his calm reaction after scoring a decisive goal against Juventus in the Champions League knockout stage. Some fans linked his muted celebration to the salary claims.
Osimhen later explained that he chose not to celebrate out of respect for Juventus manager Luciano Spalletti, whom he worked with at Napoli. But even after that explanation, the rumours did not stop.
Now, Galatasaray president Dursun Özbek has responded strongly. The 76-year-old businessman dismissed the reports and insisted that the club has paid every player in full.
Regarding reports that some footballers haven't received their payments, Dursun Özbek said as per Habersarikirmizi:
“If you make things up, you'll create crises like this. Galatasaray is an elite team made up of world-class footballers. You can't make these players play with just words. If players don't receive their salaries for two or three months, they won't play.
“These kinds of reports are an insult to the professionalism of our players. There are bonus and incentive clauses, and we pay them all on time. Galatasaray has not defaulted on a single lira, not a single lira overdue.”
Victor Osimhen's Galatasaray competing on multiple fronts
While the debate continues off the pitch, Galatasaray are enjoying a strong season on it.
Under coach Okan Buruk, they currently lead the Süper Lig by four points ahead of rivals Fenerbahçe.
In Europe, the Turkish champions have reached the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League for the first time in 12 years. They will face English champions Liverpool in the next round.
Domestically, they are also preparing for a Turkish Cup clash with Alanyaspor.
Osimhen has played a key role in the club’s success this season. The Nigeria international has scored seven goals in the Champions League and 10 in the league.
However, he is expected to miss the cup game against Alanyaspor as the club carefully manages his fitness ahead of the important derby against Beşiktaş at the weekend.
