Argentina forward Mauro Icardi has praised the Galatasaray hierarchy for signing Super Eagles attacker Victor Osimhen alongside other players who’ve helped improve the team, Soccernet.ng reports.
The Nigerian striker initially moved to Turkey on a loan deal last season before the club opted to splash a record €75m on the 2023 CAF Player of the Year.
Osimhen has scored six goals in three UEFA Champions League games this season, the highest in the competition so far.
Icardi joined the club in 2022 and helped them reclaim the Turkish Super Lig title after a three-year drought.
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Icardi suffered an ACL injury last season, but he’s returned to peak physical condition this season. While Osimhen is a doubt for Gala’s UCL clash against Union Saint-Gilloise this season, the former Inter forward is primed to start.
In his pre-game conference, he mentioned how the club’s intentionality has helped them settle after a period of turmoil.
“It will be my fourth year in Galatasaray. When I got here, the club was in an uneasy state. It’s all turned around today,” the 32-year-old said in quotes revealed by Galatasaray’s official website.
“We’re lucky, and we have a bigger chance. We’ve created a much better club in recent years. Galatasaray has a lot of history
“In recent years, the technical team, players, management, president, and everyone who works here have worked to develop the club, and we are now at the point where we are.
“We’re one of the best clubs in Europe right now. We show this in the Champions League. That’s what matters.
“Transfers were made, such as Victor [Osimhen], who was thought to be too expensive, which was previously unthinkable.
“We’ve been able to bring in very high-level players like Davinson. Today, there are many players who want to come to Turkey, and there are players who want to show their potential.
“This is a pride and honour for me. I am very proud to have contributed to this with my goals and to contribute as it exists here.
“Turkey has become a place that all the players in the world know, love and want to come. It is really a pride for me that it has been so different from the day I came from.
“Our fans create an incredible atmosphere, not only in the Champions League, but in every game we play in our stadium.
“I also remember when we came here with PSG to play. A stadium this big, with this incredible atmosphere, it was a surprise to all of us.
“I can go through this every week now. It’s a great chance for me, and it means a lot. It’s also a special situation for competitors,” the former Inter Milan striker concluded.
Galatasaray are currently top of the Turkish Super Lig, just one point above their domestic rivals Fenerbahce.