Galatasaray is not a top club- Oliseh says Super Eagles’ failure is the reason for Osimhen's woes 

Former Nigeria captain Sunday Oliseh has said that the Super Eagles' poor performance is the reason why Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman were unable to move to a big club this summer. 

Osimhen and Lookman are arguably Nigeria’s best players right now, and were linked with a move to a few top European clubs this summer. 

However, neither was able to seal a move to one of Europe’s biggest clubs, with Osimhen joining Galatasaray, while Lookman is still stuck in Atalanta. 

Although Osimhen’s move to Galatasaray cost the Turkish champions €75m and made the Nigerian striker the third-highest earning African footballer, Oliseh insists it is not a top move.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Oliseh insists that Osimhen and Lookman were unable to join a big club this summer because of the Super Eagles' failures in recent years. 

“Let's face it, Galatasaray, for me, is not a top club. It's not a top elite club. Neither is Atalanta, and that's where's housing our two best players,” Oliseh said on his YouTube channel, via Brila FM

“You know, in the past, when we spoke about top clubs you watch week-in-week out, you saw Kanu Nwankwo playing in Arsenal. You saw Jay-Jay showing at Paris Saint-Germain. You saw Taribo West doing his thing at Inter Milan or AC Milan eventually.

“Finidi George at Ajax. You saw Babangida at Ajax. I was personally at Borussia Dortmund or at Ajax or Juventus, you make your choice. So we had players that you saw week-in-week-out Champions League playing,” he added. 

“Now, we have none. Why is that happening? It's simple, our national team is no longer performing. People buy based on your national team. If you do great at the World Cup, the top clubs buy because that's their barometer,” Oliseh concluded.

The Super Eagles have indeed been poor in recent years. Although they did reach the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, results have been generally poor in recent years. 

The three-time African champions missed the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup and are set to miss the 2026 edition, as they sit six points behind South Africa in their qualifying group with just four games to go. 

The team’s ranking has also plummeted in recent years, with the Super Eagles currently ranked 44th in the world.