Victor Osimhen Set for Permanent Galatasaray Move As Marcus Rashford Joins Barcelona On Loan

After weeks of negotiations, Turkish giants Galatasaray have finalized a deal with Antonio Conte’s Napoli for the permanent signing of Victor Osimhen, following his sensational loan spell last season. The Nigerian international, who netted 37 goals in 41 appearances during the 2024–25 campaign, will officially rejoin Galatasaray after rejecting a massive €160 million contract offer from Saudi Arabia.

According to Turkish journalist Hakan Gündoğar, the 26-year-old forward is scheduled to arrive in Istanbul on Tuesday, where he will be presented to fans with what’s expected to be a “historic welcome.” Multiple top-tier transfer reporters have confirmed the deal, which includes an initial €40 million payment to Napoli, followed by a further €35 million next year. Additionally, Napoli have secured a 10% sell-on clause, and a restriction has been placed preventing Galatasaray from selling Osimhen to an Italian club for the next two years.

Osimhen is set to sign a four-year contract in Istanbul, earning an impressive €18 million annually, as reported by Italian journalist Nicolo Schira.

Despite receiving interest from Premier League clubs such as Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United, and Newcastle United, none were able to meet Osimhen’s wage expectations. The striker, determined to remain in Europe, ultimately opted for a return to Galatasaray over a lucrative move to Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League.

Meanwhile, Marcus Rashford has arrived in Barcelona ahead of completing a season-long loan move from Manchester United. The 27-year-old England international will undergo his medical this week and, if all goes according to plan, will be unveiled before Barça’s pre-season tour of Asia kicks off on Thursday.

The agreement between both clubs includes an option to make the deal permanent next summer, with a reported fixed fee of €30 million ($34.9m). With Nico Williams opting to renew his deal at Athletic Club and Liverpool rejecting an approach for Luis Díaz, Rashford emerged as a cost-effective solution to fill the left-wing position for new head coach Hansi Flick.

Sources close to the club indicate Rashford has taken a significant pay cut to facilitate the move, though Barcelona have declined to comment on specific contract details. The deal marks a fresh start for Rashford, who has struggled for form and game time at United.

After falling out of favor with manager Ruben Amorim, Rashford had been training away from United’s first team for the past two weeks. He has not featured for the club since a Europa League clash against Viktoria Plzen last December and was notably excluded from the squad that defeated Manchester City 2-1 in the Premier League.

Although he spent six months on loan at Aston Villa, a permanent move there failed to materialize despite a pre-agreed fee of £40 million ($53.6m). Rashford had been eyeing a switch to Barcelona since January and now joins an attacking unit that includes Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, Ferran Torres, and Dani Olmo, hoping to rejuvenate his career at the Camp Nou.

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