Mertens: Why Galatasaray better than Napoli for Osimhen | OneFootball

Former Napoli forward Dries Mertens feels Galatasaray suits Victor Osimhen more than Napoli: ‘More peace and less pressure.’

Osimhen is on loan at Galatasaray from Napoli, but he’s expected to return to the Stadio Maradona in the summer when he’ll be available for a €75m release clause.

The Turkish giants lead José Mourinho’s Fenerbahce by just three points in the Turkish Super Lig table, and fans using Discount Codes are finding intriguing odds in the race for the domestic title in Turkey, which is just as unpredictable as Serie A’s.

Mertens has contributed to Gala’s excellent results this season with four goals and 11 assists in 27 league matches, while Osimhen has netted 20 times in 23 games in the Turkish Super Lig.

“Today he’s among the top three strikers in the world,” Mertens told Obi One Podcast via TMW.

“He creates space and helps his teammates. He just needs to keep believing in himself. I care a lot about him. We’re close in Istanbul; our children are great friends. Life is more relaxed here, maybe even better than in Naples, more peace and less pressure.”

Mertens still has a solid bond with the Partenopei, having played nine seasons at the club, becoming the all-time Napoli top scorer.

His strong link with the club and the city led the Napoli fans to nickname Mertens ‘Ciro’ the same name the Belgian striker gave to his son.

Former Napoli teammates Victor Osimhen and Dries Mertens reunited in training with Galatasaray.

“It’s a typical Neapolitan name,” Mertens continued.

“He was born during my last season at the club, and knowing that I’d be leaving, I wanted to give him that name so I could always carry a part of the city with me.

“At first, my wife was against it, but then she changed her mind. She also wanted to cherish the memory of a fantastic adventure.

“Football is a religion in Naples,” Mertens added.

“In order to really understand it, you must know their history. Maradona changed everything, bringing the first Scudetto to a city of the south, when it seemed impossible for them to compete with the north.”

Mertens may not have won the Scudetto in Naples, but he made history indeed, becoming the best scorer at Napoli and scoring even more goals than Maradona.

“It was incredible. I was a reserve when I arrived, but then I started scoring and providing assists. When Higuain left and Milik got injured, Sarri told me: ‘Now, you’ll play as a striker.’ It was the most important season in my career with 35 goals, something I’d never expect.”

Mertens’ contract with Galatasaray expires at the end of the season.

He joined the Turkish giants on a free transfer in 2022 after his contract with the Partenopei expired.