Super Eagles and Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen has recently revealed the harsh treatment he endured during his tenure at Italian club Napoli. The 27-year-old forward initially joined Napoli from LOSC Lille for a club-record fee of €75 million. However, the legitimacy of this substantial transfer has come under scrutiny five years later, with Napoli bosses now facing a court case over alleged false accounting related to the deal.

Osimhen's first two seasons in Italy were marred by injury problems, but his fortunes dramatically shifted during the 2022/2023 campaign. He became a pivotal player, scoring twenty-six goals that were instrumental in helping Napoli secure the Scudetto for the first time in over three decades. His exceptional performance earned him the CAF Player of the Year award and an 8th-place ranking in the 2023 Ballon d'Or.

Despite his success, tensions began to rise. Osimhen penned a new deal with Napoli in December 2023, which notably included a release clause designed to facilitate his departure at the end of the season, should a suitable offer arise. Following Luciano Spalletti's departure, Aurelien De Laurentiis hired Rudi Garcia, with whom Osimhen quickly fell out. This conflict escalated to include the entire club after they posted a controversial video on TikTok with a 'racist inclination'. Osimhen described this situation as bizarre, recalling how he was insulted and never received an apology, leading him to feel like a 'victim of racist insults' and 'treated like a dog'.

In the subsequent summer transfer window, clubs like Chelsea, Juventus, and Paris Saint-Germain expressed keen interest in acquiring Osimhen's services. However, Napoli's president, Aurelien De Laurentiis, was reportedly only open to a deal with clubs in the Saudi Pro League. Ultimately, Osimhen moved to Galatasaray on an initial loan, which was later made permanent to RAMS Park the following summer.

Speaking ahead of Galatasaray's UEFA Champions League play-off match against Juventus, Osimhen disclosed that he had the opportunity to join Juventus from Napoli, but De Laurentiis directly prevented the move. "Before talks with Galatasaray began, Giuntoli called me to bring me to Juve. I spoke with a few people from the club, and they showed interest, but I knew he (De Laurentiis) wouldn't let me go," Osimhen stated in quotes revealed by Fanatik. He added, "In any case, there was definitely interest. And when Juve calls you, you have to sit down and listen, no matter what."

Osimhen further elaborated on his frustration, expressing his willingness to stay and work under Antonio Conte at Napoli but criticizing the unfair treatment from the club hierarchy. He revealed a "gentleman's agreement" that would allow him to leave, which the club did not fully honor. "They sent me everywhere to play, and they treated me like a dog. Go here, go there, do this, do that. I worked so hard to build my career, I couldn't accept that kind of treatment. After the club’s TikTok, everything changed. I was insulted, and no one ever apologised. I was a victim of racist insults: they treated me like a dog! I’m not a puppet. Conte wanted to keep me: I would have loved to work with him," Osimhen concluded. His impactful season at Galatasaray has already seen him listed in the top three for the 2025 CAF Player of the Year Award, alongside Mohamed Salah and Achraf Hakimi.