Transfer mediator George Gardi reveals the details behind one of football’s most spectacular transfers and why Napoli felt cheated in the €75 million transfer, and how other clubs offered €10-15 million more than the final transfer fee.
When the Nigerian international signed for Galatasaray on loan in September 2024, it came as a shock to football Europe. The Turkish window was the only one still open after he ended up in an impossible situation in Naples.
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Napoli had tried in vain to sell the striker to clubs in the Premier League and Saudi Pro League. The alternative was to be left with a dearly paid and dissatisfied star player. When the loan deal expired in the summer of 2025, Galatasaray entered into a permanent deal to buy Osimhen for 75 million euros. And at the center of it all was mediator George Gardi.
In an interview with Sky Sports Deutschland, Gardi now reveals how much influence he really had.
“They thought it was a joke”
“When the summer transfer window was coming to an end last year, I called the coach and the club to suggest Osimhen. They thought it was a joke,” Gardi admits.
“They didn’t take me seriously. Victor Osimhen, one of the world’s best strikers – why on earth would a 26-year-old go to Galatasaray? And why would Napoli let him go?”
According to Gardi, this was a masterful game of time and opportunity, not just luck.
“It happened at the end of the window. People talk about luck and coincidence, but this was neither. It happened with [Mauro] Icardi, it happened with [Davinson] Sanchez, it happened with [Nicolò] Zaniolo. All these players arrived at the very last minute. In the last days of a transfer window, anything can happen; Details in contracts may fall into place or be broken. When other agreements collapsed, I seized the opportunity with a clear plan. I only had a few hours to complete it.”
Let loose for a lick and nothing
Osimhen had just signed a new contract with Napoli, with a top-level salary and a buyout clause of around €110 million. Still, the Italian club expected to sell him just months later.
When no one wanted to pay that sum, Osimhen was stuck. That’s when Gardi struck and introduced him to Galatasaray.
“I reduced Napoli’s buy-out clause from over 100 million euros to 75 million euros. I convinced Victor to extend his contract with Napoli for another year, and then open up for a loan spell.”
But the process was far from easy.
“There were countless challenges. We were at the airport, the UEFA player listing closed the next day, there were problems with his contract at Napoli, and he was unsure if he really wanted to leave. I finally persuaded him. I thought to myself: What happens if he doesn’t come now? Thousands of people were already waiting in Istanbul. It was the longest two hours of my football career.”
Anger in Naples
Gardi admits that Napoli probably regret some of their decisions. In a market that is constantly growing, the 75 million euro clause now seems like a bargain.
“He had a strong will to come to Galatasaray right from the start, and had great respect for the club. But when the 75 million euro clause came into force this summer, it was not the same as 75 million last year. Napoli thought it was a large sum at the time, but the market has changed completely. If you look at other transactions this year, many are for much higher amounts. Signing one of the world’s very best strikers for €75 million was an exceptionally good deal for Galatasaray.”
Rejected higher offers
According to Gardi, there were several big clubs ready to outbid Galatasaray, but Osimhen himself was adamant.
“This negotiation went on for months, because Victor had to decide where he wanted to play. He could choose from the very best clubs in the world – only a few leaked to the media, but there were many more. He made his decision around the beginning of July. When his clause expired, he received offers that were as much as 10-15 million euros above the sum paid by Galatasaray.”
“Victor was very clear. He said he only wanted to play for Galatasaray. It strengthened our negotiating position enormously. The club did an incredible job of scraping together 75 million euros to pay Napoli by the deadline. We made history by bringing one of the world’s best attackers to Galatasaray at the peak of his career.”
