I couldn't buy my son a ticket — Expert justifies Galatasaray spend on Osimhen

Turkish football analyst Serhat Ulueren has defended Galatasaray's decision to invest in signing Victor Osimhen amid a wave of criticism from within the country. 

Osimhen cost €75 million in transfer fees and another €21 million in net guaranteed emoluments. That is significantly the most money any Turkish club has spent on a transfer. 

This has led to criticisms, as it is a significant portion of Galatasaray's €130 million spending limit for the season and has prevented them from completing the signing of a goalkeeper. They are currently trying to sign Ederson but are struggling to match Manchester City's ask. 

Serhat explained that Galatasaray could afford to make the purchase because Turkish football now generates a lot of money. He also opined that acquisitions like Osimhen's were necessary if Turkish clubs were to ever compete with European heavyweights. 

"Revenue figures have increased in Turkish football. Because stadiums have grown, bets have increased. That's why no one should say that the money spent is too expensive from now on,” he said, per GsGazette. 

“Galatasaray's total revenue from the broadcaster is $17.1 million. This figure doesn't even cover Osimhen's VAT. Matches are very cheap to watch in Türkiye. 

“Galatasaray's annual player expenses exceed $200 million. If you want to compete with the world's giants, you have to take risks. Otherwise, you can't compete with teams like City, Liverpool, or PSG.

Although he admitted that signing the Nigerian is a risk; he dismissed the suggestions that it was a mistake, explaining that star players help sell the game. 

"Signing Osimhen is a risk, but it's not wrong. If you have players like Icardi, Osimhen, Sane, Sanchez, and Torreira in your squad, everyone will buy jerseys and season tickets, but I couldn't buy my son a season ticket again because it sold out the day he was released.”

“Okan Buruk and his management took a serious gamble with Osimhen's transfer. If he fails in Europe, he'll face heavy criticism.”