Galatasaray owe Osimhen, others salaries – Report

Reports have surfaced in Turkey about Galatasaray’s struggle to pay players’ salaries, including that of Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen, due to a bloated wage bill, but insiders in Istanbul have claimed that the player is happy at the club, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

Turkish daily newspaper Hürriyet reported that some players have not received their wages for the past two to three months.

After beating Juventus 5–2 at home last week, Galatasaray lost 2–0 away to Konyaspor over the weekend, and the rumours emerged, raising questions about the team’s selection.

According to Hürriyet, Osimhen, who is on a contract worth €15m net per year, has not yet received his January and February salaries.

The striker was excused from the defeat at Konyaspor due to a knee problem, but he is set to travel for the UEFA Champions League knockout play-off second leg against Juventus in Turin.

“Osimhen is said to have been reluctant to take any risks, especially considering the return match against Juventus,” the report added.

Osimhen is the highest-paid player in the Turkish Super Lig with a net salary of €15m.

He is followed by Fenerbahce goalkeeper Ederson on €11m, while his Galatasaray teammate Leroy Sané earns €9m.

Fenerbahce’s Milan Škriniar and former Real Madrid forward Marco Asensio earn €8m, while Mauro Icardi takes home €6m among the league’s top earners.

With Galatasaray’s high wage bill, head coach Okan Buruk recently highlighted the steady rise in the club’s spending on transfer fees and salaries.

“Galatasaray’s transfer fees and salaries have been going up since last year. With Osimhen’s transfer fee and salary, you could probably put together a full team,” Buruk said via the club’s official website.

“We need to take these things into account. We brought in some very important players for the team, such as Singo, Uğurcan, Sané, and İlkay. Every team has a budget, and when you set up budgets at the start of the season, you need to follow that budget closely.”

Meanwhile, Galatasaray insiders have denied the claims of outstanding salaries, insisting that Osimhen is happy at the club.

“All the news regarding Victor Osimhen — that he’s not getting paid or is unhappy — is completely baseless. Osimhen is happy at Galatasaray, there’s no issue whatsoever,” insider Arda Özkurt said via X.

Journalist Haluk Yürekli also argued that while the club’s wage structure is high, it is not true that Galatasaray cannot pay salaries, adding that financial pressure is not linked to their defeat against Konyaspor.

Another source, Nevzat Dindar, refuted claims that the 27-year-old sent warning letters to the club over outstanding salaries.

“The claim that Osimhen sent a warning letter to the club due to delayed payments is absolutely untrue. Players coming from abroad are used to delays within the legal limits (three months) and are understanding of this,” he said.

Erdem Açıkgöz added that the striker has already received his additional €6m image rights income from advertising revenues.

“Osimhen has received the full amount of the €6m image rights income. However, for every advertising revenue above this amount, a share will also go to Galatasaray. In short, there is no extraordinary problem at all. While Osimhen receives his salary, he also generates money for the club,” he said.

Meanwhile, Osimhen returned to the team’s training on Monday ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League clash against Juventus.(Punch)