Nigerian stars Victor Osimhen and Chidera Ejuke are back with their clubs to gear up for the 2026/27 season. They are moving from the off-season back into club football.
Osimhen is ready to rejoin Turkish champions Galatasaray after a lengthy summer break. Ejuke has already started at Sevilla, where he kicked off pre-season training on Thursday.
Osimhen Returns to Galatasaray
Osimhen is set to start training with Galatasaray on Friday. He got extra time off from coach Okan Buruk after a tiring domestic and international season.
The 27-year-old missed the start of pre-season at Galatasaray this week. This raised questions about his future, with interest from Spanish club Atletico Madrid and other teams in the Saudi Pro League.
But reports from Turkey say his absence was approved by Galatasaray and has nothing to do with a transfer. The Nigerian forward was seen boarding a private jet on Wednesday, which many believe was his trip back to Turkey for training.
Osimhen was one of several senior players given an extended holiday. Buruk chose to stagger the return of key players before ramping up preparations for the new season.
The Nigerian striker comes into the season after another great year. He moved permanently to Galatasaray for €75 million (around ₦118 billion) from Napoli in the summer of 2025. This transfer made him the most expensive signing in Turkish football.
He proved his worth with another impressive season, scoring 15 league goals and adding five assists in 22 appearances. In Europe, he shone, contributing seven goals and three assists in the UEFA Champions League.
While transfer rumors grew at the end of last season, Osimhen publicly stated he wants to stay at Galatasaray.
The Turkish champions are likely to keep their star striker unless a big offer comes in before the transfer window ends.
Galatasaray will carry on with their pre-season training camp in Windischgarsten, Austria, from July 23 to 29.
During the camp, they will play AC Monza on July 24 at the Raiffeisen Arena in Linz. They will also face Venezia on July 27.
The Istanbul club will wrap up their pre-season with a friendly against Villarreal at RAMS Park on August 8.
Ejuke Back at Sevilla
On the other hand, Chidera Ejuke is back at Sevilla as they prepare for the new La Liga season.
The Nigerian winger arrived at the club’s training ground on Thursday morning for his first training session since the squad started pre-season earlier in the week.
Instead of joining the main group right away, the 28-year-old took part in a special training program with Castrin and returning loanee Alfonso Gonzalez.
Ejuke joined Sevilla as a free agent in 2024. He has had an up-and-down time in Spain, sometimes being a regular starter and other times sitting on the bench.
With only a year left on his contract, his return for pre-season hints that he might be in Sevilla’s plans for the upcoming season.
But his future is still uncertain, with almost two months left in the transfer window.
The winger continues to attract interest from clubs in the English Premier League, the Belgian Pro League, and the Saudi Pro League.
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