Galatasaray to give Osimhen No.9 jersey and captaincy

Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen

Galatasaray plans to give Victor Osimhen the famous No. 9 jersey. This is part of a strategy to keep the Super Eagles striker in Istanbul. The club wants him to ignore interest from top European teams ahead of the 2026/27 season.

Osimhen has been wearing the No. 45 shirt at Galatasaray since joining from Napoli. This is because Argentine forward Mauro Icardi has been wearing the No. 9 jersey. With Icardi expected to leave this summer when his contract ends in June, the jersey will be available. The Turkish champions want to give it directly to Osimhen to show he is a key player for them.

The 27-year-old is a top target for Manchester United manager Michael Carrick. Carrick is looking for a reliable goalscorer as the club prepares to return to the UEFA Champions League. Arsenal, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, and Chelsea are also interested in him.

Galatasaray signed Osimhen from Napoli for a Turkish transfer-record fee of €75 million last year. They have set a price of between €130 million and €150 million for him and have turned down offers from major European clubs.

The No. 9 shirt is part of a two-part plan to keep Osimhen. The first part is the chance to make him captain after Icardi leaves. PUNCH Sports Extra reported this earlier, as club officials see Osimhen as a key leader in the dressing room.

Turkish football expert Ali Naci Kucuk revealed the captaincy plan. He mentioned that Galatasaray officials think Osimhen might not get a leadership role at clubs like United, Arsenal, or Chelsea, where established leaders already exist.

The captaincy and the No. 9 shirt show Galatasaray's clear effort to give Osimhen a deeper connection to the club’s future beyond just his contract.

This season, Osimhen scored 15 league goals and had five assists in 22 matches. He also scored seven goals and provided three assists in 10 UEFA Champions League games before Galatasaray lost to Liverpool in the round of 16. His goals have been crucial for the team during their back-to-back Süper Lig title wins in Turkey.