Has Osimhen's Career Been Revived in Turkey?

25-year-old Nigerian international football star Victor Osimhen joined Turkish Süper Lig side Galatasaray on September 4, 2024, after leaving Italian Serie A side Napoli. 

He is regarded by many as one of the best strikers in the world, and since joining his new club on loan, he has scored 4 goals in five games. Let's dive straight in and closely examine whether Victor Osimhen's career has been revived since joining Galatasaray.

Why did Osimhen leave Napoli?

Despite winning the league in the 2022/23 campaign, Napoli ended up finishing in tenth place the following season, which meant they didn't secure European football. They failed to qualify for the UEFA Conference, Europa, or Champions League. 

Throughout the summer transfer window, many rumours were circulating that Osimhen would leave Napoli before the start of the new season. The three clubs linked to Osimhen were Paris Saint-Germain (France's Ligue 1), Chelsea (England's Premier League), and Al-Hali (the Saudi Pro League). 

However, nothing ever came of these three clubs, and by August 31, the prolific Nigerian striker was excluded from the Napoli squad and even stripped of his number (#9). He was replaced by new arrival, Belgian star Romelu Lukaku. 

On September 3, Turkish Süper Lig club Galatasaray announced they had opened talks with Osimhen to secure his services on loan until the end of the current 24/25 campaign, and he officially put pen to paper the following day. 

Has Osimhen's career been revived since arriving in Turkey?

Osimhen's official debut for Galatasaray was on September 14, when they beat Rizespor 5-0 in the league. He scored his first goal on October 19 in a 3-0 win against Antalyaspor. He scored again in a 2-1 win in the league against Besiktas and then netted two goals against English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur in a dramatic 3-2 win in the Europa League. 

He seems to have already settled into his new club and will be more than pleased with his current record of scoring 4 goals in 5 games. 

Since arriving in Turkey, Osimhen's career has definitely been revived, and it will be interesting to see how far the club can go this season at home in the domestic league and in Europe. 

Can Galatasaray win the Europa League?

The quickest, easiest, and most reliable way to see if Osimhen can help lead Galatasaray to victory in the Europa League is to see what odds South Africa's premier sportsbook, 10Bet, is currently offering for this particular market. 

At the time of writing, Galatasaray are only the seventh odds-on favourite to win the Europa League behind FC Porto, Real Sociedad, Lazio, Athletic Bilbao, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur. 

Here is a quick look at the latest average odds for the top three teams compared with Galatasaray's odds of winning (includes all three odds formats and the implied probability rates):

• Bet type: To win the 2024/25 Europa League outright. Team: Tottenham. Odds: 7/2 (fractional), 4.50 (decimal), +350 (American/moneyline). Implied probability rate (IPR): 22.20% – odds-on favourites to win
• Bet type: To win the 2024/25 Europa League outright. Team: Manchester United. Odds: 11/2 (fractional), 6.50 (decimal), +550 (American/moneyline). IPR: 15.40%
• Bet type: To win the 2024/25 Europa League outright. Team: Athletic Bilbao. Odds: 9/1 (fractional), 10.00 (decimal), +900 (American/moneyline). IPR: 10.00%
• Bet type: To win the 2024/25 Europa League outright. Team: Galatasaray. Odds: 14/1 (fractional), 15.00 (decimal), +1400 (American/moneyline). IPR: 6.70%

In other words, it's highly unlikely they will win the Europa League this season with Victor Osimhen, but anything can happen in football, and the favourites don't always win. Also, don't forget that these odds are subject to change at any time. 

Can he help them win the Turkish Süper Lig?

Galatasaray fans may be pleased to learn that their team is the current odds-on favourite to win the league this season. They are now three points clear at the top of the table with 28 points after ten games played. 

If you decide to wager on this particular market right now, you would most likely find average odds of around 4/9 (1.44 or -225), meaning they have a 69.20% chance of winning as it stands. 
Their next game is on Sunday, November 10, when they play Samsunspor in the league [at home], before travelling away to play Bodrum on November 23. 

Final thoughts

If you live in South Africa and fancy placing any bets on Victor Osimhen, remember to stick to betting on fully licensed and regulated online sportsbooks such as 10Bet, which is controlled by one of the iGaming industry's most trusted names. 

You must be at least 18 years old to sign up here, and the free registration process takes under a minute to complete.

When betting online, the best thing to do to ensure you have a safe and fun time is to always start by setting a reasonable spending budget. Also, remember to gamble responsibly by taking frequent session breaks and gathering as much information as possible to give your bets the best chance at winning. 

Ifeanyi Emmanuel 

Photo Credit: Pixabay