Victor Osimhen has turned down an offer by the management of Turkish champions Galatasaray for him to wear jersey No 9 now vacated by Mauro Icardi, who has left the club.
Sabah newspaper reported that Galatasaray executives presented Osimhen with a new jersey with his name and a new number of 9.
However, the striker said he would rather stick with the jersey No 45, which he has worn since his joined the Turkish giants.
He said that jersey has brought him luck.
“I expect you will sell more jerseys, but I think you will understand me. Number 45 brought me luck at Galatasaray. I want to continue with the same jersey,” he told the club bosses.
Osimhen’s association with the number 45 goes back to the early stages of his career. The Nigerian striker first wore this shirt at Belgian club Charleroi, where he scored 20 goals, marking his breakthrough in European football.
The star player, who later preferred the number 7 jersey at Lille and the number 9 at Napoli, returned to the number 45 after transferring to Galatasaray.
