Sports
“I Can’t Believe It” – Ex-Barcelona Striker Shocked Victor Osimhen Joined Galatasaray
Former Manchester City right-back Micah Richards and ex-Barcelona striker Gary Lineker were left stunned by Victor Osimhen’s decision to join Galatasaray on a four-year deal, Soccernet.ng reports.
The Super Eagles star spent the 2024/2025 season on loan with the Turkish Super Lig side, as Napoli’s €150m asking fee wasn’t matched by any club despite the striker’s insistence on leaving Naples.
The 26-year-old enjoyed his loan spell with the Turkish champions last season, scoring 37 goals and providing seven assists in 41 games.
Many expected Galatasaray to be Osimhen’s stepping-stone club that would open the path to the English Premier League, but it came as a surprise to see one of the best strikers in Europe moving to a club outside the top five leagues.
“Osimhen signed a deal for four years at Galatasaray in Turkey. I can’t believe it,” Micah Richards said on The Rest is Football podcast.
“A top player like that should be playing. Galatasaray is a massive club but in terms of European football he could do better than that, in my opinion.
‘He’d be top a three No.9 in the Premier League. Fact. Joao Pedro is unbelievable, but you cannot say he’s better than Osimhen. Not a chance,” the CBS Sports Golazo pundit continued.
Lineker‘s thoughts on Osimhen‘s Galatasaray move
The former England striker was also left in awe by the striker’s decision to head to Turkey in the prime of his career, but had also heard a theory as to why there wasn’t much interest from top clubs in the player this summer, as there had been in the past.
“I saw Osimhen play a couple of times against Leicester when they were in the Europa League,’ the former Leicester City forward added.
“He was so impressive and I’ve followed his career because of that. He was absolutely brilliant for Napoli. I mean, he was sensational.
“I do hear on the grapevine that a reason one or two of the clubs are a little bit nervous is that he sometimes goes missing for a few days. So, there’s apparently some kind of slight question mark as to his character in that sense,” Lineker concluded.
Former Napoli coach Francesco Calzona, recently mentioned that Osimhen doesn’t take kindly to criticism and urged the Nigerian forward to do better, as that’s his only flaw.
Osimhen is Galatasaray’s most expensive recruit in the club’s history, and he’ll be spending the next four years at RAMS Park creating memories with the Cim Bom Aslan
Atalanta put their PSG beating behind them with a dominant Serie A win, boosted by the return of Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman to the lineup for the first time in four months.
Atalanta have bounced back from a crushing defeat to PSG with a convincing Serie A victory, a match that saw the highly-anticipated return of Nigerian international Ademola Lookman to the pitch for the first time in four months.
The Super Eagles forward, whose recent absence was linked to a failed summer transfer and subsequent standoff with the club, came on for the final three minutes of the match against Torino, but it was his presence alone that signaled a shift in momentum for La Dea.
While Lookman watched from the bench, the team, under manager Ivan Juric, dominated the first half, taking a commanding 3-0 lead.
The attacking trio of Nikola Kristovic, Ghana’s Kamaldeen Sulemana, and Lazar Samardzic was in blistering form, putting the game to bed before the halftime whistle.
Kristovic was the star, bagging an impressive brace, while Sulemana found the back of the net once and provided an assist. Samardzic also contributed with a key assist, demonstrating the attacking firepower that Atalanta has at its disposal.
The emphatic win is a welcome relief for the club, which was humbled in a 4-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain just days earlier in the Champions League.
That result highlighted how much the team had missed the attacking spark of players like Lookman.
His return, even for a brief cameo, suggests that the club and player have mended their relationship, and he is now set to be a key figure in the team’s push to regain form and challenge for a top spot in Serie A.
Nottingham Forest new head coach Ange Postecoglou has revealed that he was looking forward to working with Nigeria defender Ola Aina before his injury.
The 28-year-old played 87 minutes against Rwanda at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in the first of Nigeria’s two games during the September International break.
However, he had to be taken off inside ten minutes at the Free State Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein as the Super Eagles played a 1-1 draw against South Africa, as Nigeria’s World Cup hopes hit the rocks.
Aina’s injury came as a big blow for Ange as he missed his first game in charge against Arsenal. After the extent of the injury was confirmed, the former Australian manager mentioned he’s looking forward to working with the Super Eagles defender.
Atalanta fans are furious with Ademola Lookman, unveiling banners condemning his attempted move to Inter Milan
The Super Eagles forward has been excluded from Atalanta’s 23-man Serie A squad amid escalating tensions
Club director Tony D’Amico confirms sanctions and future decision pending when the transfer window closes
Ademola Lookman’s once bright relationship with Atalanta fans has turned sour after the Nigerian forward’s failed attempt to force a move to Serie A rivals Inter Milan.
The 27-year-old Super Eagles star has become the target of intense criticism from the club’s ultras, and supporters have unveiled demeaning banners and even mocked the Nigerian forward with the new nickname “Guipiman,” a street cleaner.
The outrage has reached a point where some fans have boldly declared they would rather see Atalanta relegated to Serie B than watch Lookman don their shirt again, This Day reports.
Curva Nord 1907, one of the most vocal supporter groups, displayed a banner reading:
“The shirt must be honoured. Another piece of b*llshit will not be tolerated,” Nigeria Stories interpretes in a post.
This hostility stems from Lookman’s attempt to push through a summer transfer to Inter Milan, a move seen by fans as a betrayal given the fierce rivalry between the two clubs.
Lookman’s fallout with Atalanta escalated when Inter Milan submitted a €45 million bid earlier in the summer, only for the Bergamo club to reject it.
Frustrated, the 2024 CAF Player of the Year winner filed a formal transfer request and accused the Bergamo club of broken promises and poor treatment both professionally and personally, after Inter walked away from the deal.
In protest, Lookman reportedly went AWOL, abandoning training sessions, further souring relations with Atalanta’s management and fans.
Despite returning to pre-season training, the Nigerian forward was left out of Atalanta’s 23-man squad for their opening Serie A fixture against newly-promoted Pisa.
This exclusion signals how deeply fractured the relationship has become. Sports director Tony D’Amico confirmed that Lookman is not training with the group and admitted Atalanta’s disappointment with the situation, per Score Nigeria.
What next for Lookman and Atalanta?
The saga has cast a shadow over Atalanta’s preparations for the new season.
According to Daily Post, Sporting director D’Amico stressed that the Bergamo club will evaluate Lookman’s future only after the transfer window closes on September 1. Until then, the Nigerian forward remains in limbo.
“Right now, there’s disappointment. We are sorry for everyone, but we will make assessments at the end of the transfer window,” D’Amico said.
Inter Milan have since pulled out of the move to sign Lookman after failing to meet Atalanta’s €50 million valuation, leaving the forward’s options limited.
With two years left on his contract, the forward risks facing heavy sanctions from the club, including possible fines or prolonged exclusion from the squad.
For Atalanta fans, however, the damage appears already done. Whether Lookman stays or leaves, his once-celebrated status in Bergamo has been tarnished by a transfer saga.
Click to see Nigeria Stories interpretes in a post here
BREAKING: Atalanta supporters have erected a banner with a clear message targeted at Nigerian footballer Ademola Lookman after his return to training earlier this week saying :
“Honour the jersey, more bulls*** will not be justified.” pic.twitter.com/v5EklU4Nz9
— Nigeria Stories (@NigeriaStories) August 23, 2025
Join Our WhatsApp Channel https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vb6MjoWICVfrgvYOI845
For Hot Breaking News, Business, Political, Entertainment, Lifestyle and Sports…telling it as it is…. Visit – www.dailyvoice.ng
Email: infodailyvoiceng@gmail.com
Atiba Varsity Tasks New Staff, Places Premium On Academic Excellence
Tell Trump This: Primate Ayodele Sends Warning To Donald Trump In New Prophecy
