Galatasaray club president Dursun Özbek has fueled intense speculation by strongly hinting that the Turkish giants could make a sensational move for Argentina maestro Lionel Messi.
Having dominated Turkish football in recent seasons—including clinching three consecutive Süper Lig titles and setting a record with 102 points in the 2023-2024 campaign—Özbek believes the club’s current standing and financial strength position them to tempt Messi away from Inter Miami and into the Turkish capital.
Track Record of Blockbuster Signings
Galatasaray has established a proven track record of securing high-profile talent, which has been central to their domestic dominance. This includes:
Forward Mauro Icardi, who moved permanently after a successful loan and finished as the league’s top scorer in the 2023-2024 season.
The club’s record-shattering £65 million ($85.5m) permanent signing of Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen earlier this year.
Major free transfers like Wilfried Zaha and Belgian playmaker Dries Mertens, alongside key acquisitions like Lucas Torreira.
The Messi Question
Despite Messi’s profound impact at Inter Miami—where he led the club to its first trophy (the Leagues Cup), was instrumental in their 2024 Supporters’ Shield win, and significantly boosted the MLS’s global profile—Özbek views the Argentine’s elite status as no deterrent.
“Did you say Messi? Galatasaray’s most successful point is the transfers it has made. We didn’t make too many transfers, but we made the transfers we needed, we kept the team. We kept the backbone of the team that became champion three years in a row, especially the whole team. I believe we built a successful team with transfers. We raised the bar very high. We made the highest transfer in the history of Turkish football. Galatasaray’s is economically at a point to make these transfers,” Turkish-Football reported Ozbek as saying.
Özbek stressed that while their ambition is immense, all transactions must adhere to responsible financial planning:
“We have raised the level of success to a high level, so you can easily ask the Messi question. While doing all this, we have achieved a good financial situation and we are not doing anything that will disrupt this. All the work we do, all of it has to stay within our financial capacity. That’s why we have built a good team and hopefully we have goals in Europe. We will do whatever it takes to reach these goals.”
The president’s comments suggest that a move for a player of Messi’s stature is within the realm of possibility for a club focused on achieving major European goals, cementing Galatasaray’s position as a major player in the global transfer market.
