Turkish football pundit Levent Tüzemen has called on Galatasaray to sign another top-quality striker capable of playing alongside Victor Osimhen, insisting that the Nigerian international should not be expected to carry the club’s attacking responsibilities throughout the season.
With the January transfer window approaching, Tüzemen believes the Turkish champions must strengthen their forward line with a player who possesses similar attacking qualities to Osimhen, rather than simply recruiting an ordinary backup striker.
The pundit’s recommendation comes at a difficult moment for Galatasaray, following Osimhen’s recent knee injury and subsequent surgery, which have raised fresh questions about the club’s attacking depth and their dependence on the former Napoli forward.
Speaking on Libero TV, Tüzemen argued that Galatasaray needed reinforcements in several positions if they were to remain competitive in domestic and European competitions.
According to the Turkish football analyst, the club should prioritise signing a quality centre-forward, a right-back, a left-sided centre-back and a midfielder when the transfer window reopens in January.
“Galatasaray needs a good striker, a good right-back, a good left-sided centre-back, and a good midfielder. A good striker needs to be brought in to replace Osimhen,” he said.
However, Tüzemen was quick to clarify that his suggestion was not about finding someone who would simply sit on the bench and wait for opportunities whenever the Nigerian was unavailable.
Instead, he wants Galatasaray to recruit a forward with comparable qualities who could form an effective attacking partnership with Osimhen, giving the manager greater tactical flexibility and more options in important fixtures.
“Not a backup, but a striker of the same type, like Osimhen, to play alongside him. You can rest Osimhen in some matches. It’s important not to have to use Osimhen in every game,” he added.
His argument highlights a growing concern surrounding Galatasaray’s reliance on the Nigerian striker, whose goalscoring ability, physical presence, movement and attacking intensity have made him one of the club’s most influential players.
Osimhen has enjoyed an impressive start to the 2026/27 campaign, registering 10 goals and three assists in 11 appearances across all competitions before his latest injury setback.
The 27-year-old sustained the knee problem during Galatasaray’s UEFA Champions League encounter against Stuttgart on November 3. Subsequent medical examinations revealed a loose fragment in his left knee, prompting the Turkish champions to arrange arthroscopic surgery.
His absence was subsequently confirmed for the league meeting against Amedspor, while the club has yet to establish a definitive recovery timeline.
The injury has provided a timely reminder of the importance of having sufficient attacking options, particularly for a team competing on multiple fronts.
Although Osimhen’s return will be important to Galatasaray’s ambitions, Tüzemen believes the club must avoid putting excessive demands on the Nigerian, especially during a congested fixture schedule.
Beyond the striker position, the pundit also called for a broader restructuring of the squad, suggesting that several existing players could leave as the club looks to bring in stronger alternatives.
His wider transfer assessment included discussions about possible offers for Gabriel Sara and Roland Sallai, while he also expressed reservations about continuing with Leroy Sané and İlkay Gündoğan.
Tüzemen further mentioned Dutch winger Noa Lang, arguing that his crossing ability and creativity could provide significant attacking support for Osimhen.
The Turkish analyst’s comments suggest that Galatasaray’s January business could extend beyond simply recruiting another goalscorer, with several areas of the squad potentially requiring attention.
For Osimhen, having another physically strong and mobile striker alongside him could create additional attacking opportunities, reduce the defensive attention he receives from opponents and allow Galatasaray to adopt different attacking approaches.
Nevertheless, Tüzemen’s recommendation remains an opinion on the club’s transfer priorities rather than confirmation that Galatasaray have opened negotiations with any particular striker.
With the January transfer window approaching, the Turkish champions face important decisions about strengthening their squad, managing Osimhen’s workload and maintaining their competitiveness as they pursue success across all competitions.
