'Osimhen will stay for many years!' – Agent George Gardi, the man who brought the Nigerian star to Galatasaray, speaks out

George Gardi, the agent who brought Mauro Icardi, Leroy Sané, Álvaro Morata and Victor Osimhen to Galatasaray, and Mario Gómez to Beşiktaş, has given an interview that will make a lot of noise. The Italian super-agent made statements about Victor Osimhen that will delight Galatasaray fans.

ICARDI TRANSFER – BEHIND THE SCENES

In a long interview with German outlet SKY, Gardi said:“This transfer was extremely important. We took him on loan, with the majority of his salary still covered by Paris Saint-Germain – that was hugely positive for the club. I remember the final days of the window: I was at Icardi’s house. Because the season was shortened that year due to the upcoming World Cup, he had decided not to return to PSG. He didn’t want to move. I stayed at his house for six or seven hours and told him I wasn’t leaving without him. In the end, I convinced him – and we flew to Istanbul together. I would describe that transfer as visionary.”

SANÉ TRANSFER – BEHIND THE SCENES

“The idea came up many months before the transfer window even opened. I knew this player was exactly what was needed to take the team to the next level. He was indispensable for next season’s plans. When I started the negotiations – months earlier – I first dealt with his advisors at the time. Then there was a change of management and I continued with the new agents (Pini Zahavi and Max Bielefeld). Of course it was difficult. He had big offers from leading clubs in England and Germany. There was a massive offer from Saudi Arabia. With the upcoming Club World Cup, it was a huge career decision for him.”

“I spoke a lot with his agents and with him personally. I told him that Galatasaray could be a place where he becomes one of the absolute main men. The club hadn’t managed that before; he fits the system perfectly and he can win things in a place that gives him huge emotion and satisfaction – maybe even something in Europe. I explained to the board and the president that we had to complete this transfer very early. If we waited too long, the competition would only grow and it would become almost impossible to get him. That’s why I insisted we close the deal before the Club World Cup. He went on the USA tour with Bayern and then to the Club World Cup – and to bring a player of that calibre to Galatasaray, and to the Turkish market in general, right at the start of the window was absolutely unusual. Normally the very best players only arrive in winter. Getting a player like that so early sent a very strong signal to the transfer market.”

OSIMHEN WAS HESITANT

“I managed to get Napoli to lower Victor’s release clause – by convincing him to extend his contract by one year, we reduced it from over €100m to €75m – and that was what made the loan possible in the first place. There were a lot of problems. I remember: we were at the airport. The UEFA squad list had to be submitted the next day. There were contractual issues on Napoli’s side and Victor really wasn’t sure whether he should leave or not. We talked for two hours at the airport.”

HOW DID HE CONVINCE HIM?

“Those two hours were probably the longest two hours of my career. But I convinced him – and he came with me. Thousands of fans were already waiting in Istanbul. From the very beginning he had a strong desire to come to Galatasaray. He has enormous respect for the club – that was a key factor. One year later – when the clause was €75m – you can say the market had completely changed. That €75m was no longer the same as the previous year. If you look at what other strikers went for, many transfers were much higher. We’re talking about one of the best number nines in the world. Buying him for €75m would be an excellent economic deal. These negotiations took months because first Victor had to decide where he wanted to play. He had the choice of almost every top club in the world. Some names appeared in the press – but there were many more. He made his decision at the beginning of July. The clause also expired at the beginning of July – so we had almost no time. When the clause expired, a few offers came in that were several million higher. But Victor stood firm and said: ‘I only want to play for Gala.’ That helped us enormously. The president and vice-president did an incredible job. Paying Napoli €75m in one year and bringing one of the world’s best strikers in his prime – it was a historic success for the club.

I see him as a leader whose personality will help the club achieve big goals. I don’t see this transfer as a short-term deal. I believe he will stay as the leader of this team for several years to come and will help bring in other great players. He is happy in Istanbul. He earns very well. Millions of fans love him. The team is competitive in the Champions League. He is performing at an outstanding level.”

Is there a release clause in Osimhen’s contract?

“There is no release clause. A striker as influential and decisive as Osimhen – there is no price for that. Players like him are priceless on the market.”

İLKAY GÜNDOĞAN TRANSFER

“Honestly, I wasn’t directly involved in this transfer, but the board did a fantastic job bringing him in. He is a player with very strong character and his experience, especially in European matches, adds enormous value to the team. He is one of the key figures who can help the team grow and make a big impact.”