Osimhen: Galatasaray status ‘worth more than money’ as striker leads Champions League charge vs Liverpool

Osimhen will form part of the Galatasaray team that takes onLiverpool in the Champions League tonight. The Turkish Süper Lig side lead 1-0 from the first leg in Istanbul, in what is the club's first venture into the knockout rounds since 2013-14.

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Osimhen has been a major part of the Turkish team's success, scoring seven times in Europe this season. It continues a prolific period for the Nigerian with Galatasaray, for whom he has scored 56 goals in 69 games since a shock transfer to Turkey.

The 27-year-old was linked with lucrative moves to European giants and Saudi Arabia after a fall-out at former club Napoli, before signing for Galatasaray in a surprise loan move. That transfer was made permanent last summer for a Süper Lig record fee of €75m.

Reflecting on the decision, Osimhen said the chance to play for one of football's most passionate fanbases meant far more to him than financial gain.

“When I left Napoli, do you know how many people told me, ‘Do not go to Turkey. Are you crazy?’ A former agent even told me, ‘No, no, no. Don’t go there. It’s not a smart move.’ But I think with my heart. I wanted to play for Galatasaray,"he said.

"I wanted to go to a top three club in the world in terms of passion. Those are the kind of people who really understand me.

"When I spoke to Okan Buruk on the phone, before I signed, he told me, ‘I’m here to tell you that I personally, as a person and as a coach and as a father, I want you in my club.’

"When the flight landed, there were 3,000 Gala fans waiting for me in the middle of the night. That feeling is worth more than money."