- Respected commentator Volkan Demirel declared Victor Osimhen the greatest striker ever to play in the Turkish Super Lig
- Demirel made the claim despite Galatasaray suffering a heavy 4-1 Champions League defeat to Barcelona
- Osimhen was ranked above former Turkish Lig stars including Nicolas Anelka, Bafétimbi Gomis, and Alexander Sørloth
Super Eagles forward Victor Osimhen has been declared the greatest striker in the history of the Turkish Super Lig by respected commentator Volkan Demirel, who placed the Galatasaray forward in a class above every high-profile foreign striker to have played in Turkey.
Demirel made the remarks in an interview with Sami Yen Gündem following Galatasaray's 4-1 Champions League loss to Barcelona, insisting the result had no bearing on his assessment of the Super Eagles forward.
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"After this, a man of this caliber won't come along either," Demirel told Sami Yen Gündem.
"Of course, many huge stars have passed through these parts before; names like Anelka, Niang, Gomis, Sørloth, and Mario Gomez set foot in this country, but Osimhen is definitely on a whole different level, a very separate tier."
Osimhen ranked above Turkish Lig legends
The names Demirel referenced are not ordinary players.
Nicolas Anelka lit up Fenerbahçe in the 2005-06 season, while Mamadou Niang, Bafétimbi Gomis, Alexander Sørloth, and Mario Gómez were all once considered elite foreign forwards in the Super Lig.
To place Osimhen above all of them is a significant verdict from a figure with deep knowledge of Turkish football.
Osimhen joined Galatasaray on loan from Napoli in September 2024 before the club made the move permanent for €75 million in July 2025.
Since then, his pace, power, aerial ability, and finishing have set a new standard for strikers in the Turkish top flight.
Osimhen's trophy-laden Galatasaray career
Osimhen's time in Istanbul has been defined by both individual brilliance and collective success.
According to data from Flashscore, the Super Eagles forward has won back-to-back Süper Lig titles in the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons.
In May 2026, he scored a late brace to secure a 3-2 victory that handed Galatasaray their 26th league title.
Osimhen also helped Galatasaray end a five-year wait for the Turkish Cup in 2024-25, scoring twice in a 3-0 final win over Trabzonspor.
That same season, he claimed the Süper Lig Golden Boot with 26 league goals and became the first foreign player in Galatasaray's history to score more than 35 goals in a single full season.
Osimhen was voted Galatasaray Player of the Season for 2024-25 and was named Turkish Footballer of the Year in 2025, the country's top individual award.
While Galatasaray's European campaign has hit a rough patch, Demirel's comments reflect a growing consensus that Osimhen's impact on Turkish football goes well beyond trophies and statistics, representing a generational shift in the quality the Super Lig can attract and retain.
Former Turkish referee sends message to Osimhen
Legit.ng previously reported about former Turkish referee Ahmet Çakar’s defence of Osimhen after Galatasaray’s 4-1 Champions League defeat to Barcelona.
Osimhen was caught offside six times, the most by any player in the competition this season. Çakar blamed the striker’s recent return from injury and the poor service from his teammates for his quiet performance.
Source: Legit.ng