Jose Mourinho has criticized recently signed Galatasaray player Victor Osimhen for his diving habits but also praised him as an “absolutely fantastic player.”
The Nigerian striker was close to joining Chelsea from Napoli this summer but negotiations fell through. He eventually secured a loan move to the Turkish Super Lig with the option to leave in January if a bigger club shows interest.
Osimhen expressed his desire to leave Napoli, resulting in him being excluded from the squad by new coach Antonio Conte. Despite interest from other clubs like Al-Ahli in the Saudi Pro League, Osimhen opted for a move to Turkey.
With Mourinho now in charge of Galatasaray’s rival Fenerbahce, Osimhen will have the opportunity to face him once again. Mourinho had mixed feelings about Osimhen’s transfer, acknowledging his talent but also highlighting his diving tendencies.
🚨🚨🎙️| Jose Mourinho on Victor Osimhen:
“He is a fantastic player, but I don’t like the way he behaves, he dives too much…”
I told him, ‘You and Mo Salah are the best African players. In the past, it was Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto’o, and George Weah. You cannot behave like… pic.twitter.com/iYiOA6FFVL
— CentreGoals. (@centregoals) September 11, 2024
During an interview with HT Spor, Mourinho reiterated his admiration for Osimhen’s talent and stated that he would have bought him for a club willing to pay the right amount. Despite his criticism of Osimhen’s diving, Mourinho emphasized their good relationship and the positive impact Osimhen will have on the Turkish league and Galatasaray.